The Hair and the Heir
by hermyowninny
Summary: Ginny Weasley's life changes forever when she learns of a prophecy that may determine the future of the wizarding world. Any reviews would be appreciated! [:THIS STORY IS COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: The following story was written entirely by me, hermyowninny. Of course, most of the characters belong to J.K Rowling; however, a few are the products of my own imagination, and I hold the rights to them. Another fact I must note is that this story was written well before Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was published, so yes, I did hypothesize correctly as to who the HBP was. (This story was first posted at GODRICS-HOLLOW over a year ago, if you would like proof.) So hopefully you will enjoy this story, and I hope that you will leave reviews. (If you are planning on leaving a review about an inconsistency between my fic and HPHBP, please do not, because I've already stated that I wrote and completed this story before the sixth installment was published.) Thank you once again, and I would appreciate any and all criticism:)

**Chapter One  
False Alarm**

It was nearing midnight on July 25, 1998, and a hooded stranger was walking through the abandoned streets of Hogsmeade. The stranger stopped and looked into every shop window and waited, as though expecting someone to emerge and take notice of this cloaked person. But no one did, and so the stranger walked on. The weather was cool, and an unusual breeze swept over the village. The stranger knew that everyone with any sense had abandoned that place, and surrounding wizarding areas long ago. (Even the Hog's Head was abandoned; that was the most unusual thing the stranger had seen all night.) Yet, the stranger walked on for a few more minutes.

Now outside of an old shack, The Shrieking Shack, the stranger pulled down her hood and unveiled flaming red hair. She sat down beside a trap door leading to a cellar, and tears spilled from her eyes and streaked her face. It seemed like centuries ago she had immediately fallen in love with a scrawny bespectacled boy with a scar upon his forehead at the train station. But she could not think of him right now. She wiped away her tears and stood up. She had to get a hold on herself. If she was ever going to help fulfill two prophecies and end a war between good and evil within six days, then she needed to clear her mind and focus on her mission.

After making sure no one was around that would know anything, (Though she didn't see the point; apparently, no one was there. Yet she had to follow orders, so she looked around.) she tapped the exterior of the Shack with her wand. The wall dissolved from the tip of her wand, and she returned it to her pocket. She stepped inside the ancient shack, which was known as haunted', and looked around; she knew the place all too well. It was the place where she discovered her important role in the battle that could cause disaster between the wizarding and Muggle worlds. She relaxed her mind, took a deep breath, and proceeded down the long, dark passageway.

"_Lumos_," the girl muttered, and her wand lit, illuminating the passageway. "_STUPEFY_!" she yelled, pointing her wand in the direction of a rat's squeak, and a jet of red light burst from the end of her wand and stopped the rat in its tracks. She bent down and examined the rat's forepaws. No toes missing: it was just a plain rat.

"_Ennervate_," she muttered, and the rat scuttled away. It was just a false alarm. Wormtail was most likely doing his master's bidding at that moment, not scampering around little abandoned Hogsmeade.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two  
The Quest Request**

The red haired stranger walked down the passageway for a few minutes more, until she came to a wooden door. Luckily, she was small enough to go through without having to duck. Through the door and up some stairs, the stranger thought to herself, Well, he said he would meet me here, so I guess he's ready for the truth now.' Without taking any notice to the footprints in the dust, the girl walked on still.

After making sure the mirror was in her pocket, she walked until she came to yet another door: the door leading into the room where she realized who she really was, and what her life's purpose was. Not prepared to walk any farther yet, she sat down on a particularly creaky step, needing to think about it all again...

It was the last day of term at Hogwarts, and a Miss Ginevra Weasley (Ginny to her friends) had finished her exams and was sitting beneath a shady tree by the lake. The wind blew a pleasant breeze through her long, crimson hair. She was thinking once again about how unfair it was that all of her friends and family would be leaving her at Hogwarts next year, alone. They would be joining the Order, fighting against the Dark side, apparating from one place to another freely, starting their careers and their lives, and she would be at Hogwarts; watching the world pass by in front of her. Though she had seen and experienced enough of the "real world" to be graduating with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, (her two best friends and her older brother) she was only a sixth year, and wasn't even of age.

Yet she couldn't help notice that those last few days, Harry didn't seem himself. He seemed as if he was trapped inside his own body. Every time she, Hermione, or Ron approached him, he would say he was thinking and needed to be left alone. Ginny guessed it could have something to do with the fact that he alone had the power to vanquish the Dark Lord Voldemort, but since he had come so close to that a few times before, maybe it was something else.

In Harry's fifth year, his godfather had died in a Battle at the Department of Mysteries between Voldemort and his Death Eaters and The Order of the Phoenix, and even a few D.A. members. Everyone could tell Harry still blamed himself for this. The following summer, after the revelation of the Half Blood Prince and the death of Ginny and Ron's older brother Percy, Harry spent a lot of time in the Department of Mysteries. (Voldemort himself had killed Percy because he had found out whom the Half Blood Prince was, and was prepared to tell Harry.) 

Ginny almost fell asleep, sitting there by the lake, but someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ginny, hey! How are you?" asked Hermione.

"Oh! I'm fine. You just startled me. Did you just finish your N.E.W.T.S.?" Ginny replied.

"Yeah. They were really challenging, but I think I did well. Harry and Ron haven't finished yet."

Ginny nodded and opened her mouth, as if to reply, but suddenly stopped. Without warning or reason, her body turned icy cold and she felt as if all the happiness had been drained from her.

"Ginny, are you all right? You look like you're about to pass out!" Hermione exclaimed. And that was the last thing Ginny remembered before she found herself lying on the floor of the Shrieking Shack...

"She's awake! Oh, goodness, she's awake!" Hermione shrieked to someone else in the room Ginny could not see.

"Ginny! Hermione told me what happened. Are you okay? I was so worried..." Ron said lovingly.

"I, I, dunno...dementors...they swooped down on me. But why are we in the Shrieking Shack? Why couldn't you just take me to the Hospital Wing?" Ginny asked, bewildered.

"Oh, that, um, Ginny...all these dementors came and swooped down on you, and I couldn't produce a strong enough Patronus, but then, Harry came out and saw you and he made them go away and he carried you in here. Now he's off getting Dumbledore. He should be back soon," Hermione explained quietly.

Ginny just sat up in amazement for a few minutes. Harry had saved her again. He always seemed to be saving her! She suddenly realized, that for the second time in her life, she was in love with Harry Potter. She felt an urgent need to tell him how grateful she was for his bravery towards her, and she had to tell him how worried she was about him recently, and how she wished to be more than his friend. After all, if Ron and Hermione, the Head Boy and Head Girl, were dating, who was to stop she and Harry from dating?

A half hour passed, then an hour, and still Harry hadn't returned. They were starting to get worried when all of a sudden Dumbledore and Lupin appeared at the top of the stairs. Ginny, Hermione, and Ron all stood up immediately.

"Calm down, calm down. Professor Dumbledore informed me about Ginny and the dementors, and I knew that something like this would happen, especially after I heard about the other prophecy. The dementors on Voldemort's side again! All his Death Eaters escaped... And the Half Blood Prince! I always knew he was a sneaky, slimy, good-for-nothing... I tried to contact Harry, with the mirror you know, but all he said was that he had to do this now, that it was now or never-" he was cut off by Dumbledore.

"Remus! Be patient. They do not yet know. They have been waiting for Harry's return for over an hour. I will inform them now about Harry's decision." Dumbledore turned to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny.

"For the past few years, Harry has been having dreams and visions of Voldemort's feelings, and emotions, and sometimes even his plans. This has troubled him greatly, because even though he has mastered Occlumency, Voldemort has mastered a supreme Legilimency that can overpower Harry's mind. Voldemort and his Death Eaters have also, as you know, attacked many people, magical, and non-magical. He knows that Harry wants nothing more than a reason to come after him, and begin the Final Duel. I trust Harry has told you about it, the prophecy concerning he and Voldemort?"

They all nodded and Dumbledore continued.

"Harry has spoken to me many times about leaving school and tracking Voldemort down. He wants no one else to have to suffer as his parents did, and Neville Longbottom's parents did. He also wants no more families to be torn apart as his was, and also as Molly Prewett Weasley's was. But I advised against it, and Harry has remained obedient. But this afternoon, he apparently could take it no longer. After the dementors attacked Ms. Weasley here, Harry came up to my office, handed me a mirror, and told me he was leaving. Before I could stop him, he took a pinch of Floo Powder and left for the Ministry of Magic. I followed him quickly, and grabbed him before he could do anything else. If you never knew this, than you will know now, and perhaps understand what I am about to tell you more fully. Almost eighteen years ago, the Potters needed to hide because Voldemort was after their son. I recommended Godric's Hollow: specifically, Godric Gryffindor's own house. As Lily Evans was an heir to Gryffindor, the Hollow was an ideal hiding spot for her, her husband, and of course, her baby. Of course, they needed protection from that of the Fidelius Charm, but as you know, Peter Pettigrew gave them away to Voldemort. That leads me to the information I provided Harry with last week, that I specifically asked him not to tell anyone. Last week, Harry discovered that he is the last remaining heir to Godric Gryffindor, and as Voldemort is the last reaming heir to Salazar Slytherin, the two founders have chosen to finish their battle with these two. They decided this many years before, of course. It was written that when a descendent of Gryffindor attempts to kill an heir of Slytherin, they must complete the battle between the two founders that started long ago. The battle must end in the death of either duelist, which would also fulfill the prophecy, incongruously. The terms for this battle state that the battle must be finished before both the heirs' eighteenth birthdays pass, otherwise the wizarding world and the Muggle world will be joined once more. This would mean that everything we've worked so hard for would be torn apart. Of course Voldemort is well past the age of eighteen, so it has to happen before Harry's eighteenth birthday. I could not let Harry know about this until he became of age, and not before I felt he was ready. You may think that I haven't left him with much time, but I feel Harry will succeed in any amount of time he is given. This is the first time in history, since Gryffindor and Slytherin themselves of course, that a descendent of Gryffindor, that would be Harry, attempted to kill an heir of Slytherin, Voldemort. Actually, as you know, Voldemort used the Killing Curse on Harry, but when the curse rebounded on Voldemort, it was almost as if Harry shot the Killing Curse at Voldemort. But there is no doubt that the battle will have to end between Harry and Voldemort before July 31 at midnight. In spite of his limited time, Harry still remained as confident as ever that he would win the battle. When I caught him at the Ministry, I asked him if he knew what he was doing, and he replied, Yes.' I asked him if he understood the consequences, that he may very well die in trying to both end the eternal battle of good and evil while fulfilling the prophecy at the same time, and he still replied Yes.' I asked him if he would like the Order to keep the Death Eaters away as long as possible, and he told me, that the D.A. would be helpful also. He wants everyone to know that you aren't children anymore. Anyone and everyone can help. His point was: if Draco Malfoy, who was 16 at the time, became a Death Eater, then the D.A. could at least _help_ the Order. Then he gave me a summary of his plan: With the Half Blood Prince Snape on Voldemort's side again, he has gained even more power than before. But Harry plans to use an ancient magic as his offense and defense, and he trusts that the magic will destroy Lord Voldemort."

Lupin, Ginny, Hermione and Ron stared, wide-eyed at Dumbledore, but the old man merely took a deep breath and began again.

"Then he left, before I could say another word, which I absolutely meant to. I immediately spoke to Minister Krum, and now we will respect Harry's wishes. Do you, as the D.A., accept this quest: to search for the Death Eaters so Harry can successfully search for Voldemort? To help Harry in any way you can, to overcome this period of destruction in the world right now?" Dumbledore asked, gazing sternly into the three teens' faces.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three  
Discovering Destiny**

Of course they had accepted the quest. After being friends with Harry for all those years, and after everything he'd done for them, how could they not accept?

"Of course we'll do it! Harry needs us, even if he has to have the Final Duel with, with, with, Voldemort." It was the first time Ron had ever used Voldemort's name. Ginny began to wonder what Harry would say, but it hurt too much. She didn't know if she would ever see him again. But she was confident he would destroy Lord Voldemort.

"Very well. The Minister and I have devised a plan. You three shall tell all the other D.A. members as soon as I've finished telling you, and Remus, you shall inform the Order of our new directives.

"Harry is going off to find any information he can about the whereabouts of Lord Voldemort, and as you know, he will attack with a special magic-" Dumbledore was cut off.

"Excuse me, Professor? Can you tell us what this magic is?" Hermione questioned with a worried look on her face.

"Miss Granger, that is completely up to Harry to tell you, as I'm sure he will when he has returned from defeating Voldemort, but I can assure you, it is not illegal. As I have said, he will attack with that magic. The Order will provide him with all the information we can about anything that may help. We will also be tracking down the Death Eaters so Harry will have a hopefully uninterrupted journey.

"As for the D.A., many of you are not of age, so we cannot permit you to join the Order, though you can assist in any way possible. Those of you who are of age: It was my direct request that you stay with the D.A. and assist the underage members. You will search the wizarding world for anyone or anything with any information. Then you will report everything that you saw, or didn't see, to a member of the Order each day. If you shall decide not to follow these directions, you will be removed from the quest in an instant. No matter where you are, you will look around for any sight that seems out of place. You will search every house, shop, bar and question every person you meet; even Muggles. I assume my brother Aberforth is still working at the Hog's Head, and he may be of great assistance, also."

They looked at each other with firm expressions, and then they all nodded toward Dumbledore.

"Hermione, Ron: gather the other D.A. members and tell them what I just told you. As today is the last day of term, the parents of the D.A. members will be expecting their children home tomorrow. Remus: tell Professors McGonagall, Hagrid, and Flitwick to send an owl to each and every parent of the D.A. members and explain to them what their quest is. After that, go to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place where you will find Minister Krum and the Weasleys awaiting my return. Tell them I will be there within the hour. Ms. Weasley: I would like to speak with you alone. Off you go!" Dumbledore commanded and Lupin, Ron, and Hermione left to go do the errands.

Ginny sat down on the dusty chair near the entrance to the room. Dumbledore stood, apparently thinking, for a few seconds.

"Ms. Weasley, I have a special mission for you. Although you have not yet turned seventeen, I will be teaching you how to apparate, for it is essential to your individual mission. I also believe that you have magical skills beyond many in your year, and because of that, I have decided to let you travel alone, searching for Harry. You must aide him. Only you, and apparently it is time. I also must confide in you that I am afraid he is not yet ready for this. He thinks he is, and I know it must happen now, but I am afraid, still. Harry can be a bit stubborn when it comes to something he's passionate about. I'm not accusing him," Dumbledore added quickly after noticing the piercing look on Ginny's face, "but it can lead him to trouble. I have made a mistake with Harry, and also with one other student in Hogwarts: you. I have cared too much for both of your feelings than to tell you the truth. Harry left before he could hear this: Harry already knows that The Half Blood Prince is the only one able to aide Voldemort in the Final Duel, but there is also one person who can help Harry. Can you make a guess as to who that is?" Dumbledore turned away from Ginny's face and summoned Fawkes, his magnificent phoenix.

"Professor, do you mean me?" Ginny breathed in an exasperated tone.

Dumbledore just gazed on her with his twinkling eyes and began to stroke the scarlet feathers of his phoenix, which just appeared in the room in a burst of flames.

"Yes, Ginevra Molly Weasley, I absolutely mean you. I have witnessed many prophecies in my old age; the one about Harry and Voldemort being one you know about. But another one, almost as important, is about you. As I was leaving the Hog's Head after hearing the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort, a certain former Professor appeared behind me and it seemed as though he hadn't eaten or slept in a few days. I knew him to be a Death Eater, but I could see he wasn't armed with his wand so I stopped and asked him what was wrong. He spoke in a voice I immediately recognized; he was making a prophecy. Imagine that: two prophecies in one night! This prophecy was closely related to the one I had witnessed a few moments before. But this one, mentioned you."

Dumbledore stopped momentarily and signaled to Fawkes who disappeared in a burst of flames, leaving behind a single golden tail feather, which Dumbledore picked up and placed inside his robes. In an instant, Fawkes returned, supporting a stone basin, which appeared very heavy, on his tail.

"Ginevra, I do not know if you recognize this object. It is called a Pensieve. It is used to hold memories that I simply cannot hold in my brain all the time. It also allows myself, or others, to view my thoughts placed in this basin at any given time. If you would please peer into the bowl, you will understand what I am talking about."

Ginny stood up and walked toward Dumbledore and Fawkes warily. She examined the silvery substance within the bowl and looked up at Dumbledore's face. He nodded gently, and she suddenly noticed that he looked quite apprehensive. Lowering her face down towards the contents of the basin and the tip of her nose touching the silvery liquid, she felt as if she were flying in a downward spiral.

She hit the ground hard, but stood up quickly. She recognized the place; she was in Hogsmeade. (Outside of the Hog's Head to be exact.) She turned around a few times, but she became dizzy. Just then, a man of about twenty with greasy black hair and a hooked nose appeared from the bushes and approached the Hog's Head.

"Snape!" Ginny exclaimed and withdrew her wand. Then she remembered she was in Dumbledore's memory, and Snape, presumably, didn't even know she was there.

Snape staggered towards the door to the bar, but before he could open it, Dumbledore emerged from it. Dumbledore still had his long silvery hair and crooked nose, but his face seemed younger.

Ginny edged up closer to the pair so she could hear what was going to happen.

"Severus, I can see you are unarmed. Has the Dark Lord banished you or have you come here on your own accord?" the younger Dumbledore asked.

Snape didn't say anything for a few moments. But when he finally did, it was in a harsh, raspy voice Ginny knew not to be his own.

"The next descendent of Godric Gryffindor to be born to the witch with his eyes shall be the one who attempts the downfall of the last remaining heir of Salazar Slytherin. They shall complete the battle between good and evil and they alone will decide which force is greater. There are two people, and two alone, who can assist them in this Final Duel. The Half Blood Prince shall return to his master. The next female born into the pure blood family of wizards with hair the color of the feathers of a phoenix will aide the good. They alone can help, and they alone will be matched in power. The Half Blood Prince and the girl with the hair of the phoenix can aide the duelists."

Snape finished and fell to the ground. Dumbledore uttered, "Locomotor Mortis," and Snape was raised in the air parallel with the tip of Dumbledore's wand. Dumbledore walked steadily down the street, with Ginny at his heels.

"Ginevra, I think you've seen enough. We must return."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four  
Explanations and Apparitions**

Ginny turned around and saw the present-day Dumbledore standing behind her, smiling weakly. And with a rushing spin, they were forced upward and out of the Pensieve.

"Ginevra, or... may I call you Ginny?" Dumbledore asked, once he and Ginny had landed and gathered themselves.

Ginny nodded. "Ginny, do you have any questions?"

"Yes, Professor, I do. My parents have always told me that I was the first witch to be born into my family for a long time, but did they know what that really meant?"

"No, Ginny, they didn't. I'm afraid that in this case, they told you everything they knew. But I know that it is referring to you because of the description of your hair color. Many people, including your parents, have noticed that your hair color is a few shades different from the rest of your family. You hair is scarlet, like the feathers of a phoenix'."

Ginny nodded, pretending to understand. "What did it mean, um, they alone will be matched in power'?"

"Well, Ginny, that again is how I knew it was you. That part refers to your magical prowess being equal to that of the Half Blood Prince. When you told me last year that Snape was lying in regards to knowing who the Prince was, I realized you had the gift of Legilimency: the ability to reach into someone's mind, and grab what you need. You have a supreme enough gift to tell when others are lying to you. So does Snape. Harry, also, had informed me on various occasions, that no matter how much he tried to close his mind, you always seemed to pull the truth out of him, and it was useless to lie to you, for you always seemed to know. I don't think you actually practiced becoming a Legilimens? But the prophecy said your power would be matched, so that means everything. I imagine you are very well-trained when it comes to curses and hexes, also?" 

"It's true. I could always tell when people lied to me. But I never tried to do it. It just happened, and I thought it was some sort of instinct. And according to my brothers, I'm the best duelist they've ever seen, and that I could send the Death Eaters into a right state," Ginny responded, a shrewd smile spreading across her face.

"Well, Ginny, that may be true. And those other characteristics point to you also. But I actually knew it was you in that prophecy from the moment I received the news that you were born. You were the first girl to be born into the Weasley family for many generations. From the day the prophecy was made till the day of your birth, there had been no witches born into a pureblood family with red hair. I knew in an instant it must have been you," Dumbledore explained. "The other traits just confirmed my beliefs.

"As you may not have known, or maybe you did, Snape was a very troubled youth. He knew so many things he shouldn't have at his age, but he was brilliant all the same. You are, also. Brilliant, I mean. The only difference between your magical abilities is that he chose his for evil, and you chose yours for good. When I first heard the prophecy, neither Snape nor I knew that he was the Half Blood Prince. In fact, I found it quite peculiar that you, of all people realized he was the Half Blood Prince Voldemort had been talking about in the visions Harry received. Last summer, Snape retrieved the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, after having realized he was the Half Blood Prince. For the description on the prophecy reads:

S.A.S. to A.P.W.B.D.  
The Half Blood Prince and Ginevra Weasley

He had been serving Voldemort ever since then. When he admitted it, I realized I had been giving away information to a double spy. Luckily, I am Secret Keeper for the Order. Snape can give no explicit information to Voldemort about the Order, though he can use it to his own advantage. I suppose you've been wondering how I could ever trust Snape?" Dumbledore asked Ginny and let out a long sigh. He was obviously worn out and Ginny pondered how he could talk for so long without stopping to take a drink of water.

But Dumbledore was right. Since Ginny realized Snape was lying about being a double spy and being the Half Blood Prince, Ginny wondered more than ever how Dumbledore could've trusted him.

"Well, I will start with his first chance to join our side. When I first formed the Order, I became very worried about Severus. I knew he could be useful to us, but I feared he would stray along the path of evil, as Slytherins are so known for. I offered him a job on our side, and he spat at my feet, saying he planned to join the Dark Lord. Sure enough, he did. Then after the prophecy was made, I took him back to Hogwarts, to question him. I realize now that it was foolish not to use Veritaserum. But, I asked him what his intentions were, and he said he had been wrong in refusing my offer and that he wanted to make amends and join us. He could be a spy for us, he told me. And I tried to see into his mind, to see the truth. I had not yet known he was as superb as an Occlumens as he truly is. I trusted him, and believed him, and employed him as Potions master. I also believe after contemplating it since last year, he really _did_ want to join our side. Not at first, but gradually he changed. At first I believe he was acting under the Imperius Curse, but he was able to fight against it, soon after he began to work for me. Then, in Harry's fifth year when I sought for Snape to teach Harry Occlumency, I wondered for the first time if he had deceived me that night he made the prophecy. If he had closed his mind when I questioned him that night. If, in fact, he was a double spy. It seemed doubtful, though, but I had not banished the thought from my mind permanently. Then, when Harry began having visions of Voldemort speaking of the Half Blood Prince, his most faithful Death Eater, being at Hogwarts last year, I started thinking deeply about the possibility of Severus having been lying to me. I can almost always tell when someone is lying to me, also. But I never confirmed my belief. But you Ginny; you knew when you searched his eyes. I must say, that you are a more powerful witch than you will ever know. And that is again, why you must leave to find Harry, and fulfill the prophecies together. And I know that with Harry leading this expedition', the moment of the Final Duel may be sooner than you think." Dumbledore finished, and motioned for Ginny to stand. She seemed to take it all in, but she still felt somewhat confused.

"Now, as promised, I will teach you to apparate. We shall leave for Number 12 Grimmauld Place as I promised. Tomorrow, Ginevra Molly Weasley is when you will leave in search for Harry. He needs to know that he can have help, and that you are the one who is to help him." Dumbledore handed Ginny the mirror Harry had given him. "Use this to try and contact Harry. He told me he has the other mirror. If you need to contact him, say his name, and you can communicate with him."

"Um, Professor? Can I ask you one more question?" Ginny requested after carefully obscuring the mirror inside of her robes.

"Of course."

Ginny cleared her throat. "Lily Evans had green eyes, didn't she? And Harry inherited his eyes from her. In the prophecy, um, it sounded as though Godric Gryffindor's eyes were green also. Is that right?"

"Yes, Ginny, that's correct. I would have expected a question like that from Hermione, but you are just as clever as she," Dumbledore replied with a smile.

Ginny grinned and proceeded with Dumbledore who was leaving for the door. He muttered something about it being easier to learn how to apparate and disapparate outdoors, but Ginny wasn't completely paying attention.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five  
Suspicions and Surprises**

The first few minutes had been in silence, that night that Ginny and Dumbledore went to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. In spite of everything that had happened that day, everyone seemed to be acting cheerfully in order to make the situation seem less significant than it actually was.

Ginny had apparated very well, Dumbledore told her, but still, she was frightened to death of being splinched, so she decided that until she officially had her license, she wouldn't be apparating or disapparating very often.

By the time Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and Ginny had finished preparing the dinner, Lupin, Dumbledore, Bill, Charlie, Mr. Weasley, Minister Krum, and Moody were gathered around the table, talking in hushed voices. As soon as the women entered, though, the whispering stopped.

"Ah, Molly! I haven't eaten anything as delicious as your fabulous cooking since, well, the last time I ate your fabulous cooking!" Moody complimented, but Ginny still wondered why they had stopped talking as soon as she walked in.

The meal was eaten pretty much in silence, until the doorbell rang, and Sirius's mother's portrait started wailing and screeching. Everyone just looked at each other for a moment, but then Ginny jumped up to answer the door before anyone else. Tonks chased after her, as Lupin attempted to close the curtain over the screeching portrait.

Tonks caught up with Ginny just before she reached the door.

"Ginny, why don't you let me answer it?" Tonks asked gently.

"Why? Are you expecting someone in particular whom you would not want me to greet?" replied Ginny in a falsely sweet voice. "Or are you trying to treat me like a child who is incapable of facing whomever it is that is standing behind the door?" Ginny finished in a more severe tone.

"Ginny, no. It's just that, well, I can't explain now, so just, um, finish eating, and you'll find out soon enough. I know you must be frustrated into a right state, but in a half hour's time, you'll feel different. C'mon, can't you trust me?" Tonks answered with a smile. Ginny agreed, half-heartedly, but she couldn't help but think they were all up to something.

After she finished her meal, she decided to take a shower. But something distracted her from entering the hall and ascending the stairs.

"Well, just keep quiet! She can't see you yet. I know, I know, calm down! She's off taking her shower; she should be down in about fifteen minutes. It's supposed to be a surprise, you know. She has a difficult month ahead of her, and we're trying to make her relaxed before she leaves. Just please, keep quiet!" Her father's voice rang into the drawing room where Ginny had been attempting to make her way to the staircase. All of sudden, Mr. Weasley appeared in the drawing room and found Ginny standing behind the doorway.

"Ginny! I thought you were taking a shower? Well, off you go then! What were you doing standing behind the door anyway? Oh well, no harm done. So why don't you just…what's the matter, dear?"

Ginny had burst into tears and ran through the drawing room and into the hall, and then up the stairs as fast as a Firebolt. She locked herself in the room where Buckbeak was kept and sat down on the floor, making sure to avoid the dead rat parts.

She needed to clear her mind, because if she didn't, she would start screaming and she couldn't afford to lose her temper now. What were they keeping from her? She felt like she was twelve again, and everyone thought she was too young to understand what was going on. But she was sixteen and they had just about run out of excuses for not including her. All this sneakiness, and hushed conversations, and avoiding her eye: what were they up to? She hated it when people kept things from her, but now, she was afraid she was at her boiling point. And for what? All they wanted to do was make her feel better, but she was about to explode with anger!

"I must be stressed, or something. I'm going to take a quick shower, and then I'll go downstairs and pretend I didn't even notice that they were acting so strangely," Ginny whispered, not even noticing she had just talked to herself.

Ten minutes later, Ginny went downstairs in her pajama pants and a Weird Sisters T-shirt. She entered the hall; no one was there. She walked into the drawing room; no one was in there either. Wondering where everyone could possibly be, and who her father had been talking to, she walked into the kitchen with her mind wandering. A loud explosion, and colorful objects floating through the air greeted Ginny, and she was so startled she almost fell over. Standing in the kitchen were Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and everyone else in the D.A. Ginny was so dumbstruck, she couldn't think of anything to say.

"Ginny! Did you notice the new and improved Weasley's Wildfire-Whiz-bangs? Only 25 Galleons will get you-" George started, but was nudged in the ribs by Hermione.

"Ginny! Come, in, please. We all came here to wish you luck," Hermione explained. But Ginny's eyes were focused on a slim package lying in the middle of the table.

"Why are there presents?" was all that Ginny could manage to say.

"Oy! Ron! Give her the presents!" Fred yelled to his younger brother, who was scooping up the parcels for Ginny.

"Ok, this one's from Hermione, and that one there is from Bill, and Charlie gave you this one, and that would be from me, and Fred and George's, and Mum and Dad's is on the table, and the others are over there," Ron said quickly as he handed all the packages he was holding to Ginny.

She didn't know what to say. She half wished she had not been mentioned in that prophecy and so she would have enough time to enjoy all these presents. 'If you hadn't been mentioned in the prophecy, you wouldn't even be getting these presents,' she reminded herself. But the truth was, she wished Harry could be here and they could both enjoy themselves tonight, and leave, together, tomorrow. But Harry didn't even know about the second prophecy, and she'd have to deal with it. She did need to relax, because she had tough times ahead of her…


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six  
The Shadow Orb**

Ginny awoke the next morning with her heart in her throat. She couldn't speak when Hermione asked her something that she couldn't quite hear, and she couldn't even dress herself without crying. She realized that if she messed up somehow, she could have herself and Harry killed, and neither of them would ever have the chance to see all these people at Number 12 Grimmauld Place ever again. The evening before, Ginny had managed to forget the next day, and she was very glad that all those people came to wish her luck. (They didn't have to get her presents either.)

From Hermione, Ginny received a beautiful charm bracelet with little quaffles, bludgers, and snitches dangling from it.

Ron had given her a large box of her favorite sweets, complete with Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills, and Squeaking Mice.

Fred and George awarded her with a complimentary box of the new and improved Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs.

Besides that she received a Sneakoscope, a sack of Dungbombs, assorted sweets and treats, and a Broomstick Service Kit. (She couldn't deny that her ancient broom needed it.)

In all the excitement, she had almost forgotten the slim package on the table.

"Oh! Ginny dear, I almost forgot! Your father and I bought this for you…" Mrs. Weasley handed her the package from the table, and Ginny's heart leapt. She knew what was under the wrapping, but she couldn't imagine how her parents afforded it. Despite that, she couldn't believe her eyes when she revealed the new Nimbus Two Thousand and Two from under the brown packaging.

"Do you like it, dear?" Mr. Weasley asked his open-mouthed daughter.

"I-I-I- I don't know what to say! How could you- how did you- why- thanks! Thank you, all of you! I really appreciate what you've done for me, and I wish I could start using these gifts sooner. Now, I'm going to go to bed, because I have to get up early. Thank you all again!" Ginny replied.

She forced herself not to think of the possibility that she would never be able to use those gifts downstairs as she climbed into bed and silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She was still awake when Hermione came in a short while later, but she remained still and quiet in her bed to avoid answering any questions.

"Ginny, um, if you're listening, I just wanted to tell you that the charm bracelet I gave you isn't an ordinary bracelet. I have the same one. If we wear them all the time we'll be able to communicate with each other. You just twist the snitch and start talking, and I'll be able to hear you and talk back. Um, I think you're really brave Ginny: if it had been me I think I would cry if anyone approached me. Um, good night, then," Hermione said, as if she knew that Ginny was awake.

Ginny had a nice, dreamless sleep that night, but that morning was different story. She woke up to an owl dropping something on her face. She didn't recognize the owl, so she opened the letter with caution.

"Miss Weasley,  
As my gift was not ready for you last night, I have left it down in the drawing room by the desk, as I had to leave on important Ministry business. Good luck on your journey, and tell Harry I said 'Hello'.  
All the best,  
Viktor Krum  
Minister of Magic"

Curious, though she was, to see what the present was, she didn't want to go downstairs and see everyone again for what might be her last time. Without glancing at the time, she got up and made her bed. Hermione said something to her, but Ginny couldn't understand her, and then Hermione rolled over and went back to sleep. Ginny dressed herself with great trouble, for she needed to stop every few seconds to wipe away her tears. Eventually she was packed, dressed, and ready to leave. She levitated her trunk in the air and proceeded down the steps. (Dumbledore had given her and the other underage D.A. members special permission to use magic outside of school last summer.) She was thinking the whole time she went downstairs. Half of her wanted to see everyone standing in the hall, bidding her farewell, but the other half wished that no one was there because she didn't know if she could hold back the tears.

No one was in the hall or the drawing room, so she put her trunk down by the door, and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat before she left. She made some eggs and bacon, but she wasn't able to finish eating on account of her nervousness. She cleaned her plate and put it back into the china closet. She looked around her carefully.

"This could be my last time here. I may never be able to return and see my family and friends again, and all the money those people spent on me would have went to waste…That reminds me, I should go into the drawing room and see what other gift I've received that I may never be able to use." Ginny said to herself, rather pessimistically.

She moved slowly from the kitchen to the drawing room, thinking how strange it was that no one was down here yet. When she picked up the magnificently wrapped package from beside the desk, she couldn't help but think how unfair it was that Harry hadn't received any presents. After all, he was the one who would be dueling Voldemort; she only needed to help Harry by creating a diversion or something right?

"I'm afraid that's not right, Ginevra," said Dumbledore in a clear, silky voice sent chills up and down Ginny's spine. Ginny spun around and saw Dumbledore standing in the doorway with a serious look on his face, and wearing a long purple dressing gown.

"Professor! What are you doing here?" asked a startled Ginny.

"Well, I was looking for you. Hermione informed me that you got out of your bed at two o'clock this morning."

Ginny looked ashamed at first, but realized there was nothing for her to be ashamed of. "I received a letter, but I hadn't realized it was two o'clock, or I would have went back to sleep. I'm sorry, I thought it was much later."

"That's quite alright! I wasn't able to sleep well myself, Ginny. Are you going to open that, or is it a device used for warming hands?" Dumbledore asked with a quizzical look on his face. Ginny believed that he wasn't being sarcastic.

Ginny slowly tore off the paper. When she had finished, she was holding a silvery sphere that reminded her of a Remembrall crossed with a Muggle 'snow globe' her father collected. For a moment, Ginny just stared at it as if expecting something to pop out of it. Finally, she decided to ask if Dumbledore knew what it was.

"Erm, Professor? Do you have any idea…?"

"Goodness! Ginny, that is a very special, rare object. But no doubt the Minister felt safe giving it to you," Dumbledore answered, but further explained after noticing the still-puzzled look on Ginny's face. "That, well, that in your hand is a Shadow Orb. It is a mysterious, yet helpful magical object that is much like the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts. You simply need to hold it in your hand and think deeply about what you need. It is often used for evil purposes, which is why there aren't many of them left, but Minister Krum obviously trusts you with this as a responsibility, and he probably felt it was a necessity for your journey. I would treasure that, if I were you Miss Weasley. Well, it looks like everyone is awake now, so I guess you will not be departing for a little while," Dumbledore finished, with a nod towards the stairs, which various people were descending. 

"Professor, wait! When you first came in, you said that I wasn't right. What did you mean?" Ginny asked quickly, because she didn't want anyone else to hear.

"Ah, that. Well, Ginny, you thought that all you had to do was create a diversion so Harry could duel Voldemort. But, that is not correct. I can't tell you exactly what your mission is, but you will find that out on your own soon enough, and I have no doubts that Harry will use that to his advantage. I must be leaving now. Professor McGonagall is waiting for me at Hogwarts for a meeting. Just remember not to leave until I return, because the Minister requested a meeting with the both of us this morning. I cannot believe that next year, you will be the only Weasley at Hogwarts! Well, all good things must have an end. Good luck, Ginevra," and he swiftly strode out of the room and up the stairs, leaving Ginny with a newfound sense of responsibility, but also a new sense of confusion.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven  
Sad Goodbye**

Ginny left that morning at around 9:30, after being swarmed with hugs and good-byes, and even a last minute present. Her mother cried, her father was speechless, and Fred and George made jokes.

"Hey, Ginny, when you see Snape, tell him that we missed his brilliant personality here at the Order. If it wasn't for him, we'd never have agreed to join…" Fred snickered, only triggering more tears from their mother.

"Fred! Can't you see your mother is already worried enough? Do you think you two could just keep quiet?" Mr. Weasley implored sternly while hugging Mrs. Weasley and patting her arm.

"Alright, Dad. But, really Ginny, good luck. You're really brave for doing this, I mean if I had to duel that slimy grease ball and his mate Voldie, I'd-" George started but no one heard the ending of his joke for Mrs. Weasley wailed louder than ever.

Ginny was too busy trying to suppress her laughter to notice that her bracelet was talking.

"Ginny! Ginny, can you hear me? Please answer! Your bracelet, Ginny! It's me, Hermione!" squeaked the little snitch dangling from Ginny's bracelet.

Ginny twisted the snitch and spoke into it as Hermione said to do the previous night. 

"Sorry! Where are you? I thought you were down here a minute ago…"

Just then, Hermione apparated at Ginny's side, and brought her into a tight hug. While being strangled by Hermione, Fred and George made a game out of tossing Pigwidgeon to each other, and every time Ron got close, they would dispparate a few feet away.

Dumbledore descended down the stairs, and the whole room quieted at the sight of him. He cleared his throat before he began to speak to them.

"Everyone, we all know that it is time for Ginevra to leave and begin her mission. But, she has a few minutes before we need to leave for the Ministry, so I thought I would present her with my gift now."

Ginny was astounded. Not once did she even stop to think that Dumbledore hadn't given her a gift the previous evening. 'I guess he's done so much for me already, it would be wrong to expect one from him,' she thought to herself.

With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore summoned a medium sized parcel out of thin air, and handed it to Ginny with a smile. Ginny looked around at everyone who was staring at the package in her hand, which was now unwrapping itself. She looked down with curiosity as the package continued to unfold in her hands. When it was finished, Ginny was left holding a satin, lilac colored box. She removed the lid and into her hands flowed a soft, silvery, lightweight cloak.

"Professor, thank you! I, I can't believe you would give this to me! I mean, don't you need it?" was all Ginny could manage to say as she held the rare, mysterious invisibility cloak.

"I daresay I don't need it anymore. Why, I realized it the other day when I disappeared after exiting the Great Hall. I believe that if I scratch my left ear three times, I become invisible all on my own! And I can't doubt that the cloak would be helpful to you. But now, Ginny, we must be leaving, for the Minister would like to talk to you before you depart. Say your goodbyes, and then-" Dumbledore was interrupted by the shrieking of Mrs. Black's portrait.

With a look of amusement on his face, Dumbledore strode over to the wailing portrait just as Luna cantered over towards the door to check if anyone was there. Dumbledore waved his wand and muttered a countercharm under his breath, and Mrs. Black's portrait was lifted from the wall and disappeared.

"I thought I would try it, and apparently it worked! Luna, there was no one at the door? Well, I guess she just felt like screeching! As I was saying, Ginny, grab your trunk, and we shall leave for the Ministry," Dumbledore responded to the surprised look on everyone's face.

Ginny bade everyone farewell, levitated her trunk, and made her way toward the fireplace, closely followed by Dumbledore.

She took a pinch of Floo Powder into her hand and waved goodbye as a tear rolled down her cheek, then shouted clearly into the fire, "The Ministry of Magic!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight  
Mysterious Disappearance**

Ginny and Dumbledore were seated comfortably in Minister Krum's office, waiting for the minister to come out of his meeting with the Hogwarts' School Governors. His office was decorated with memorabilia from his Quidditch days; only two years ago he was made Minister of Magic and retired as the Bulgarian National Team's Seeker. At the ripe age of 21, Viktor Krum was a breath of fresh air at the Ministry. (Especially since his predecessor, Cornelius Fudge, refused to acknowledge the rise of the Dark Lord and put the whole wizarding world in danger because of his ignorant denial.)

Ginny found the Minister's office fascinating. On the magnificent gold-painted walls were team photographs, old broomsticks, Quidditch robes, and framed magazine and newspaper articles. Ginny had only seen one office that was more intriguing and excellent: Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts.

As Ginny stared absentmindedly around the room, Dumbledore couldn't help but notice that the School Governors' meeting should have ended forty-five minutes ago. A few moments later, an eagle owl flew in through the open window and dropped a letter onto Dumbledore's lap.

Ginny came out of her 'trance' and noticed that as Dumbledore read the letter, a frown appeared on his face. Wondering whom the letter was from, and why Dumbledore found it disheartening, Ginny realized that her bracelet was talking again.

"Ginny, are you there? Is the meeting over? If it isn't just ignore me, I'm sorry," came Hermione's voice from the little snitch.

"It's okay, the meeting hasn't even started yet. What's up?" was Ginny's reply.

"Well, we were just wondering what was taking Dumbledore so long. When he came back from his meeting at Hogwarts this morning, he told us not to leave until he came back from your meeting. Why hasn't it started yet?"

Ginny glanced at Dumbledore who was writing a reply on the reverse side of the parchment he received. "Well, the Minister must still be in his meeting with the School Governors. I'll tell you when the meeting's over. And I'll talk to you every other day with these bracelets, okay? I don't want to be completely separated from my friends and family. Bye."

Just as Ginny finished, and twisted the snitch back into place, Dumbledore stood up and attached his reply to the owl's leg.

"Ginevra, I'm afraid that this meeting will not take place after all. You should inform the others just as soon as I explain it to you. It seems that the Minister has disappeared. After the meeting with the School Governors, he made his way up here. But a few Ministry workers were with him on the lift, and they said that as soon as he stepped off, he vanished without a trace. They searched the whole building, but the Minister is nowhere to be found. Now if you will kindly communicate that to Hermione on those fascinating bracelets…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine  
Outside the Manticore Sting**

Ginny Weasley left a few minutes after she told Hermione what had happened to the Minister. Not only did the D.A. and the Order have to find the Death Eaters and keep a lookout for Harry, but they also had to search for Krum. Ginny wondered how and why this could've happened. She hadn't a clue about who could've done this, but she thought that whomever had done this was trying to distract everyone from looking for the Death Eaters and Harry.

Dumbledore told Ginny that she should start close to Hogwarts, though Harry could be anywhere by now. Harry apparated very well, so he could be on a different continent already. Ginny decided she would apparate to Hogsmeade for practice, and start searching there. She questioned everyone she found and no one had seen or heard from Harry since before the end of term. No one knew of the dementor attack either, and Dumbledore advised against telling anyone about the mission. Ginny decided she would tell them that Harry was supposed to meet her here, and she couldn't find him. 

When she entered the Hogs Head, Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, told her that he saw Harry the day before. Then he remembered that it was only a hag…

Next, Ginny went to Diagon Alley, using the same alibi. But no one had seen him there, either. She searched all over wizarding Europe, and no one had seen Harry... until July 20.

It had been an uneventful day, and was proving to be an uneventful evening. After questioning some Bulgarian witches who 'had never seen Harry Potter in their lives', Ginny decided she would take a break and order a butterbeer in the pub down the street. Her tired feet carried her to The Manticore Sting, and she opened the large wooden door. She ordered a butterbeer from the bartender, (after asking him if he had seen Harry; he answered no.) and sat down at a small, round, wooden table next to the only window in the place.

A few moments later, a man wearing a black hooded robe came in and ordered a firewhiskey. The man sat down at the table opposite Ginny. Ginny looked suspiciously over at the man and wondered whether she should question him. Finally deciding that she had to ask him, Ginny gulped down the rest of her butterbeer just as the man rose from his chair and headed for the door. Ginny stood up and hurried to stop him, but he continued out the door.

"Sir, wait! Please, sir, I have to ask you something," Ginny called out to him as the man proceeded down the street. Ginny jogged up after him.

"Sir, I was wondering if you saw my friend. He was supposed to meet me here, but he never showed up. Um, Harry Potter! He was supposed to meet me here. Have you seen him?"

The man stopped and turned to face Ginny. He lowered his hood.

"Minister! Um, Minister what are you doing here? I thought you disappeared: we all did. Where have you been?" Ginny asked, not at all expecting this cloaked man to be Krum.

"Miss Weasley, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm here on holiday. I never 'disappeared'. But, I have seen Harry. He was here earlier, in fact. I tried to talk to him, but he appeared distracted and told me that he wouldn't fall for my trick. I don't know what was wrong with him; I wasn't playing any tricks on him. Then he disapparated. And that was the last I saw of him," Krum replied.

Ginny looked Krum straight in the eye, and tried to reveal the truth behind his eyes. She didn't think he was lying, but wasn't completely sure.

'I should proceed with caution. I don't know why, but he seems suspicious,' she thought to herself.

"Don't you believe me? Or has your Muggle-loving father taught you bad manners? You should never stare at anyone, no matter how big their nose is," bellowed Krum. Ginny didn't know what to do. Why would Krum insult himself and her father who he seemed to like a lot?

Krum withdrew his wand from within his robes and pointed it at Ginny. Just then, Ginny realized that Krum must have been put under the Imperius Curse. By whom, she didn't know, or care, but she knew that he was going to attack her.

Ginny withdrew her own wand and pointed it at Krum. So did someone else.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten  
Escaping the Death Eaters**

Ginny spun around and saw Harry standing there with his wand out and pointed at Krum.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Ginny asked, surprised

Harry said nothing, but attempted to stun Krum. Krum rebounded the spell upon Harry, whom Ginny immediately revived.

"Thanks," Harry muttered and sprang to his feet. Ginny sent a Blasting Curse at Krum, and he was blasted ten yards away. After running up a few yards, Krum sent a disarming spell at Harry, and Harry's wand flew out of his hand.

"Accio wand!" yelled Harry, and his wand flew back into his hand. Ginny and Krum were both amazed. Harry just performed magic without a wand! Ginny was the first to get over her shock, and she and Harry yelled, "Stupefy!" at the same time. Both spells hit Krum squarely in the chest and he fell to the ground. Harry dragged Krum's body into an alley and left him there.

"We need to tell Dumbledore about this. He's going to want to know that Krum had been put under the Imperius Curse," Ginny demanded.

Harry didn't reply. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"Are you all right, Harry? You've hardly said anything to me. What's wrong?" Ginny inquired.

"Nothing. Just thinking. What are you doing in Bulgaria, anyway?" Harry replied.

"Looking for you, actually. Did you modify the memory of every person you came in contact with, or something? Because I knew they were all lying, but their memories were unclear," Ginny asked, looking at Harry.

"Actually-" Harry stopped, and grabbed Ginny's arm. He was pulling her back toward The Manticore Sting.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked, looking behind her. Moving down the street was a group of six Death Eaters.

Ginny pulled free from Harry's grip and turned around, withdrawing her wand from within her robes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Harry demanded.

"Aren't we going to fight them?"

"What the hell do you mean we? I'm going to fight them. You are going-"

Ginny didn't know what Harry was going to tell her to do, but she knew what she had to do.

"Harry, neither of us should duel. I can't die right now! Not if I'm going to help you against Voldemort!"

Harry turned to look at Ginny, not knowing what she was talking about. Ginny was now squeezing something in her left hand that reminded him of a Remembrall.

'We need a place to hide where they won't be able to find us. A place that they can't see, and they can't get into, that we can stay in until they leave. We need it right now!' Ginny thought deeply with her eyes shut tight.

She opened her eyes and saw the Death Eaters about five feet away from she and Harry. Cleverly, Harry formed an invisible barricade that would last for a few seconds between the Death Eaters and himself and Ginny. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and ran a few yards away until they came to a small house with a flashing red arrow above the door. Assuming this was their secret hideout, she pushed open the door and darted inside.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven  
A Letter From Inside the Closet**

Inside the small house, Harry and Ginny sat down on a comfortable-looking couch. They both looked around at everything in this one-room house.

There were two cots in the far corner of the room, and directly across from where they were sitting was a small table and two chairs. There was a stove and a small freezer to the right of the table. Beside the couch was a writing desk with neatly stacked rolls of parchment and a few quills and inkbottles on it. There was a small closet in which held blankets and pillows and even four robes to change into, and behind the table was a fireplace and a little pot of Floo Powder. The place seemed perfect.

Ginny turned her head to see what Harry was doing. He was looking at her. Ginny smiled, and Harry grinned back.

"How did this happen? And what was that orb-thingy anyway?" Harry asked, the grin fading from his face.

"That was a Shadow Orb. It's kind of like the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts. And I said we needed a place to hide and this is our hiding spot," Ginny replied quietly.

"Okay. So did you say Krum disappeared? What do mean?" Harry questioned.

"Well, before I left to come look for you, Dumbledore and I went to the Ministry because Krum wanted to speak to me. We waited for about forty-five minutes, but he never showed up. Then Dumbledore got an owl saying that when Krum stepped off the lift, someone handed him a piece of parchment and he vanished. And no one's seen him since. Except for today, I mean," Ginny answered.

"I'll bet it was the Malfoys. Ever since the dementors left Azkaban and the Death Eaters were free again, I've been waiting for something like this to happen. They probably had someone inside the Ministry turn that piece of parchment into a portkey and when they handed it to Krum he was sent to the Malfoys who put him under the Imperius Curse. Only a Malfoy would make Krum say what he did about your dad, and Krum's nose," Harry suggested as Ginny slipped off her shoes and curled up like a cat on her end of the couch.

"I guess you're right. I just want to know a few things. Why didn't you answer me when I tried to contact you with the mirror?" Ginny asked with a slight frown forming on her face.

"The mirror…I'm sorry. I could hear someone talking into it, but I thought it was Lupin trying to get me to come back. I wrapped it in an old robe inside my trunk, and shrunk the trunk so it would fit inside my pocket. That first day I left, Lupin wouldn't leave me alone! He kept saying, 'Harry don't leave. You're making a big mistake!' every ten seconds. If I'd have known you had the mirror I would've answered," Harry explained.

"Okay. And how come every time I get into trouble you're always there saving me? The Chamber of Secrets, last year in Hogsmeade when Malfoy was trying to kill me, the dementors a few weeks ago, and today with Krum! Are you just waiting for me to get into trouble, or something?"

Harry let out a short laugh. He shook his head and smiled. "I dunno. I guess I'm just in the right place at the right time. Lucky for you, though, isn't it?"

Ginny returned the smile, and asked, "And since when could you do magic without a wand? Last time I checked, it was like impossible!"

Harry had been waiting for her to ask him that question. "Well, Ginny, remember the summer before my fifth year when Umbridge sent those dementors to attack me? Well my cousin Dudley was screaming and I dropped my wand, and without thinking, I said, "Lumos," and my wand lit. That was the first time, and I've only done it a few times this summer since then. I've only done simple charms and spells, because I don't know if I can do more complex curses and hexes. I've read about it, and the only people I found that could do it were Gryffindor, Slytherin, and…Voldemort,"

Before her fifth year, Ginny would've shuddered at the sound of Voldemort's name. But now she used it as casually as most in the Order now did.

"Oh. I see. Well, now that you've answered my questions, you can ask me whatever you want," Ginny offered.

"Okay. Why were you sent to look for me? Why have you been asking everyone if they've seen me? And what the hell did you mean when you said you had to help me fight Voldemort?" Harry inquired, and took a deep breath.

Ginny knew that he would ask those questions, and she had been forming the answer in her mind for quite some time now, just in case she found Harry.

"Okay. I was sent to look for you because-" Ginny was interrupted by an eagle owl flying scraping its talons at the door.

Ginny stood up and looked through the crack between the door and the wall to make sure only the owl was there. She quickly flung the door open and let the owl in, and closed it swiftly after seeing two Death Eaters blasting things out of their way across the street.

There were two letters: one for Ginny and one for Harry. Ginny gave Harry his letter, and she opened hers.

_Ginny,  
DO NOT SAY ANYTHING ELSE! You are being listened to through the Floo Network. After reading this letter, throw it into the flames so no one else will be able to read it. I know this because I am in this house also. After destroying this letter, extinguish the flames in the fireplace, then open the closet. Please don't mind me for spying but the whole wizarding world is being abandoned right now. The Death Eaters have many new members as young as age fourteen. They invaded the Ministry, and now they are causing much destruction all over the place, and many witches and wizards are dead. The rest are in hiding, and you need to leave this place as soon as possible. I will give you further instructions after you open the closet._

Albus


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve  
New Instruction**

Ginny read the letter through twice before it all sank in. The world was in danger, and people were dead, and there were more Death eaters than before… 

Ginny stood up and threw her letter into the flames. So did Harry. With a flick of her wand, Ginny extinguished the fireplace. Ginny walked over to the closet and opened it.

"Thank you Ginevra. Now we must be leaving. Harry: do as I said to do in that letter. Ginevra, come with me," Dumbledore instructed as he clambered out of the tiny closet.

"But Professor! I haven't told Harry anything yet! Can't we stay just a few more minutes?" Ginny protested.

But it was not Dumbledore who answered. "Gin, I can't. I have to go now. It's important. I'll tell you what; I'll meet you at the Shrieking Shack on July 25. Don't come before midnight. Then you can tell me everything, I promise," Harry answered, and after giving Ginny a quick kiss on the cheek, he left.

"Now, we must be leaving ourselves. Put your shoes on and we'll leave. We'll fly. I brought my broomstick, and I trust you've shrunken yours?" Dumbledore planned.

Ginny nodded as her eyes filled up with tears. She withdrew her shrunken broom from her pocket and returned it to normal size. Dumbledore reached back in the closet and pulled out an ancient-looking broom.

"Are you ready? Before we leave, I must tell you that your family is fine. But I'm afraid that Draco Malfoy killed Neville Longbottom. He was actually dueling Bellatrix Lestrange, and winning, but Malfoy hit him with the Killing Curse as soon as young Neville turned around. We shall give him a quiet funeral tomorrow, and after that you need to get going again. And you must promise me that if you see any Death Eaters you shall get into hiding and inform me right away."

They flew to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place where every single member of the Order and the D.A. was waiting for Dumbledore's next instructions.

On the way there, Ginny told Dumbledore everything that happened on her journey. She told him about Krum and the Death Eaters in full detail. But then Ginny had a question.

"Professor, I remember when the Order went through Sirius's will two summers ago that nothing was mentioned about Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Whom was that left to?"

"Well, when we reformed the Order of the Phoenix, I advised that every member write their will that summer. The first time, no one did, and it caused confusion when members died. Sirius asked me if he should leave the house to Harry. I advised against it, and said that it should remain in the family. So it was left to Nymphadora Tonks. She graciously kept it as Headquarters for the Order. Now, we didn't read that part out loud, because Nymphadora already knew it was left to her. And if and when Nymphadora dies, the house will be closed up for good. Sirius and Tonks discussed that when they wrote their wills. It has already been decided, so you need not worry about it, Ginny," Dumbledore explained.

When they arrived at Grimmauld Place, Ginny was swarmed with hugs and everyone was shouting things like, "She's okay!", and "She's still alive!", which made Ginny feel as if they expected her to be dead.

At dinnertime, everyone was conversing about their near-death encounters, and how well they dueled and everything they saw. Ginny just ate her food quietly and didn't even hear Hermione, Luna, the twins and Ron trying to get her attention. Finally, George was able to catch her eye.

"Bloody hell, George! What did you poke me in the eye for?" Ginny yelled angrily while rubbing her eye.

"Well we were calling your name and tapping your shoulder, but you didn't even notice us. You're lucky it wasn't me who got your attention. I was going to slip a Canary Cream into you your potato…" Fred snickered.

"So, Ginny…did you find Harry?" Hermione asked with a look of great concern on her face. Ginny told them all about Krum, and Harry and the Death Eaters, and her hiding spot. When she finished, no one spoke for a moment. Finally, Ron spoke.

"So you have to meet him at the Shrieking Shack in five days. Could we come too?"

But it wasn't Ginny who answered. "Ron! We have to fight the Death Eaters! They're all still alive and still out in the world trying to bring Harry to Voldemort, and trying to kill Ginny so she can't help him," Luna said sharply.

Although Ginny knew this already, hearing from someone else made her realize how much danger she and Harry, and even the D.A. and the Order were in. The Death Eaters were trying murder her so Harry will have to duel both Snape and Voldemort alone, and the D.A. and the Order were risking their lives to make sure that didn't happen.

The rest of the meal was eaten in almost absolute silence. After everything was cleaned up, Dumbledore led them all into the drawing room, where he summoned many armchairs for them all to sit on.

"As you all know, seventeen year-old D.A. member, Neville Longbottom has perished at the hands of Draco Malfoy. He was putting up a great fight with Bellatrix Lestrange, but as soon as he turned around, Malfoy was there ready to commit his first murder. We need to make sure it was his last. The Death Eaters must be stopped, and there are other ways to do that besides murder. Harry has figured this out and is going to use that knowledge as an advantage in his duel with Voldemort. But it is up to you to figure it out for yourself. Voldemort may be powerful, yes; but he fails to acknowledge that death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person, such as the Dementor's Kiss. After receiving the Kiss, you are not dead, but it is much worse than death. You have no soul, and therefore you cannot really live. You are basically alive, but what point is there to live? You can no longer walk, talk, think, or do anything. But we must not get to far away from the subject. Members of the Order: You will need to make sure that no witch or wizard is left behind. They all need to get into hiding. I will organize portkeys to take them to places such as the one that Ginny and Harry used this evening. After that, one member will stand guard at each of these places every night. You will be rotating of course. When not standing guard, two Order members will be grouped up with three D.A. members, which brings me to the D.A.'s new orders. D.A. members will be roaming wizarding areas all over Europe. I have contacted the American Ministry, and they will set up a defense system, and also inform other areas of the world. So our main focus is Europe. As I have said, three D.A. members and two Order members will stay together and search for the Death Eaters. You will be sleeping during the day, and start patrolling at dusk. And at 6:30 AM you will send an owl with your progress. If you encounter any Death Eaters, call for backup, and you will duel them. Once they are weak, bind them to something, and after all are bound down, I will come and handle it. If the Final Duel has not occurred by July 29, all of you will report back here for special instruction. Any questions?" Dumbledore finished and sighed. Ginny couldn't help but notice that lately, Dumbledore didn't look well. He seemed to have lost all the youth left in his face. The twinkle that was once in his brilliantly blue eyes was gone, and he always looked extremely tired and worn out.

Ginny raised her hand. "Professor, I have a question. Are you going to sleep now? I think we'll all be fine. You need to rest, too. Please, just go lie down for a few hours. I'll take it from here."

Dumbledore smiled and a faint twinkle appeared in his eye. "Why, thank you, Ginevra. But I must insist that you not call me Professor outside of school. Yes, Ginevra, I will go lie down. Thank you all very much, and I bid you a goodnight."

When Dumbledore went upstairs, Lupin, Charlie, Bill, and Mr. Weasley started gathering items to turn into portkeys. Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Hermione, and Luna started preparing a lot of food because everyone would be sleeping during the day, and this was the only time they had to start preparing food for the week. Moody, Ron, Fred, and George left to look for good places to use as refuge for witches and wizards in hiding. Everyone else just loitered around; helping whomever needed help, and started cleaning the house. As Ginny strode over to the stairs, she wondered what Harry was doing right now. She sat down on the bottom stair, and was drifting off…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen  
Meeting Miss Riddle**

"Ginny! Ginny, wake up!" Molly Weasley's voice rang through the hall. She had attempted four times to wake up her daughter who was sleeping on the stairs. This made getting up the stairs impossible, except to apparate at the top of the steps, which was no consolation for the underage members who needed to use the upstairs bathroom.

"Let us try, Mum," Fred suggested innocently.

"Don't hurt her or I'll have both your heads!" his mother replied, which obviously meant yes, because she moved out of the way.

George pulled something out of his pocket that resembled a small horn. He spoke into it, but the voice that came out of it was not his.

"Ginny…Ginny, wake up. It's me, Harry."

Ginny opened her eyes, and a smile appeared on her face which immediately turned into an angry expression when she saw Fred and George standing in front of her.

"GEORGE! I'll kill you! I gave you the idea for that Magical Voice Modifier and you used it against me!" Ginny yelled and ran after George like a madwoman.

"Why did that work, when he used Harry's voice?" Mrs. Weasley asked Fred, puzzled.

"Mum, don't you know? You don't even know whom your only daughter fancies? I'm appalled!" Fred replied in a fake-surprised voice.

Mrs. Weasley frowned, and then burst into a fit of laughter.

"Not again? Goodness, Ginny and Harry? The thought of it, well, actually," a smile spread across Mrs. Weasley's face, "that wouldn't be so bad! It would be great, really! I wish I would've known, though. Ginny used to tell me everything. Oh well, now they'd be a brilliant pair, wouldn't they?" Mrs. Weasley's grinned proudly at the thought of Harry and Ginny getting married someday…

"Yes, I'm looking for Ebony Whittaker. Does she live here?" Harry Potter asked a stern-looking wizard of about 65 standing outside of a large old-fashioned home.

"You're Harry Potter, aren't you? What do want with my wife?" the man asked in reply.

"Yes, I am Harry Potter. And Albus Dumbledore sent me here. He would like to speak with her," Harry replied, and he pulled a folded piece of parchment out of his pocket, and handed it to the man.

The man read the letter, and gestured for Harry to come inside. Harry sat down on a crimson armchair and gazed around the house. It was extremely colorful, and bright, and considering whom Ebony Whittaker was related to, Harry was extremely surprised. A few moments later, a tall, slender woman aged 65 descended the stairs with her husband.

"Hello, I am Ebony Whittaker. I haven't seen Dumbledore for ages! When I went to Hogwarts, he was the Transfiguration teacher. Now he's the Headmaster, I've heard." The woman's voice was soft and sweet which contrasted her physical appearance: long, sleek, jet-black hair and pale blue eyes. Harry stood up, and introduced himself.

"THE Harry Potter? Oh, goodness, I know why you're here. Has it got to do with my half-brother?"

Ginny had managed to catch George and she jumped on his back, knocking him to the floor. Luna, Ron, and Hermione entered the drawing room at that very moment, and they almost collapsed to the floor themselves in laughter.

"George! Is that you underneath our dear sister? Well done, Ginny! I've tried that many times myself, but I was never strong enough to knock him over," Ron mocked George, and let out a loud howl of laughter.

Fred came in a moment later, and quickly exited the room in fear that he would explode with hilarity.

"All right, you've had your fun. Now help me up!" George demanded as Ginny jumped up off of his back.

That morning at breakfast, everyone was talking, and laughing; even Ginny. Despite the fact that she knew the Final Duel was drawing nearer, she began to feel more herself, and was able to enjoy her last few hours before she left again.

The night before, Ginny had a wonderful dream. She hadn't told anyone about it, because she knew they would all tease her as they did when she was 11 and 12.

She had been flying on her new broomstick late at night, and she didn't really know where she was going. She just flew for what seemed like an hour. Eventually, she dismounted in front of a small house. Suddenly, Snape and Voldemort appeared in front of her. But Ginny walked on and smiled, and withdrew her wand from inside of her robes. She had her wand in her hand, but she didn't point it at Snape or Voldemort. She pointed it at the door of the house, which flew open immediately. She turned around as though not to face Voldemort and the Half Blood Prince. A few screams and flashes of light later, Harry came over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw everyone sitting on chairs on the lawn, and Fred and George were using the Extendable Ears to listen to Voldemort and Snape's breathing.

"They're dead, alright," Fred announced, and with a flick of his wand, the two corpses vanished.

"Wow, and there was only an hour left, too!" George exclaimed.

Her mother was crying, and then said, "I always knew they'd make such a good team. And now they're getting married!"

For a moment Ginny thought her mom was talking about Fred and George, but then realized that she was now wearing a white Wedding gown, and Harry was leaning in to kiss her…

It was a great dream, but very unrealistic, Ginny thought. But it contented her for the rest of the morning.

Harry and Ebony had apparated to Hogsmeade where Dumbledore was waiting for their arrival. Ebony told Dumbledore everything she knew, and was willing to help out in any way she could. She had found out almost seventeen years ago that she had a half-brother, and felt ashamed to be related to him at all, even if it was only on her dead father's side; the father that had abandoned she and her mother when Ebony had received her Hogwarts letter. Her half-brother's mother was a witch, but both of her parents were Muggles. Her mother accepted the fact that she was a witch, but her father fled back to his own parents when he learned that his second child was magical. (Her half-brother had murdered her father and her father's parents about a year after Ebony's parents divorced, but Dumbledore just told her that.)

She had never spoken to her half-brother before, and had only seen him at school. But they weren't even in the same house; he was a Slytherin, and she was a Ravenclaw, and they were five years apart. Her information provided helpful to Harry, and she would be returning to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place with Dumbledore in an hour's time.

"Harry, will you be coming to Neville's funeral?" Dumbledore asked Harry as they walked along the lifeless streets of Hogsmeade.

"I 'spose so. I won't stay afterwards, but I would feel guilty not going. Neville was a great guy, and he was a superb duelist. I always knew Malfoy was a sneaky, conniving little-"

"Harry! That's enough. I know you how you feel. But you must calm down. The funeral is to be at 11:30, so don't be late. He will be buried in the same cemetery as your parents, and you may leave immediately after. Just keep in mind your promise to Miss Weasley. I expect that she'll be in the Shrieking Shack no later than 12:01. Ebony and I will be leaving now," Dumbledore finished, and with two loud cracks, Harry was left alone.

After everyone was finished eating breakfast, they all changed into their black dress robes for Neville's funeral. They had to wait for Dumbledore to return from his meeting with a new Order member. No one at Number 12 knew who this person was, but Dumbledore had said they would be extremely helpful, and that they lived a few miles from Grimmauld Place.

At 11:00, Dumbledore arrived back at Number 12, with a tall, dark-haired woman. She smiled and waved at everyone gathered in the hall. She looked a little shy, so Dumbledore introduced her to everyone.

"Hello, again everyone. I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Order. Her name is Ebony Whittaker, but some of you may recognize her as Miss Riddle: Voldemort's sister."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen  
The First and Worst Funeral**

After looking at everyone's faces, Ebony stepped in and corrected Dumbledore. "I'm only Tom's half-sister. We had the same father, but my mother is a Muggle, and I am NOT a descendent of Slytherin, thank goodness for that. And I am married to Gerald Whittaker, so I'm not really Miss Riddle anymore, but that was my name when I was at Hogwarts. No one has really heard of me for a while, because after I found out what Tom- I mean Voldemort- did, I had to lie low in case anyone accused me of being a Death Eater. I never knew that he was my half-brother until he tried to kill Harry Potter. My mother was a friend with Lily Evans's parents, and Lily's parents told my mother, who told me. I know- confusing, right? But that's the truth, whether I like it or not, and I do NOT like it." Ebony took a deep breath, and gave another smile.

Everyone just stared for a moment at Ebony, who tried to pretend she didn't notice. But she was afraid that she gave them too much information at once, and now they would hate her because of it. But a short, red-haired girl spoke to her in a welcoming tone, which brought relief to Ebony.

"Mrs. Whittaker, my name is Ginevra Weasley (But please, call me Ginny,) and I just want to say, welcome to the Order of the Phoenix."

Ginny smiled at this tall middle-aged woman, who returned the smile and answered, "Thanks. But please; call me Ebony. No one's ever called me Mrs. Whittaker before, and I'm afraid I'm not used to it!"

Ginny knew that this woman would be a great addition to the Order, and she was anxious to get to know her better.

"Well, Ginny… Ebony: I'm glad you don't mind each other, because you two will be traveling together for a few days," Dumbledore smiled and looked from Ginny to Ebony; neither of them had been expecting this.

At 11:30, everyone was standing around the empty grave, in which Neville Longbottom would soon be resting peacefully. They were only waiting for Harry, who apparated by Dumbledore's side a moment later.

Many of the girls were crying, and the men had solemn expressions on their faces. Neville's grandmother had also joined the ceremony, and she was standing quietly off to the side. She appeared to be praying over Frank and Alice Longbottom's graves, who had both died the previous winter.

Lupin and Moody carried Neville's casket over to the grave and as they lowered it, Dumbledore read a short biography of Neville's life. As everyone bowed his or her heads, Ginny was remembering the Yule Ball in her third year. If Neville hadn't taken her, she wouldn't have been able to go. Hermione was remembering all the times that she helped Neville in Potions class while Snape was there, and then how happy Neville was when he failed his Potions O.W.L. and he would never have to take Potions again. Harry was remembering how well Neville did in those secret D.A. meetings, and how Neville was so determined to be at the top of the class. Ron was remembering the time in their third year when Neville's boggart turned into Snape, and Neville forced it to wear his grandmother's clothes.

Everyone had their favorite memory of Neville, and all of them were good. He was a good friend, a good date, a good duelist, and he had a good sense of humor. All of the Longbottoms had died a noble death, and that's the way it should have been.

When everyone was still bowing their heads, Ebony felt a strange coldness sweep over her body. Although it was about noon, the sky was darkening every second. Apparently, Ebony was not the only one who detected a strange presence. Ginny and Hermione were shivering, and Ron kept rubbing his arm. As Dumbledore was reading the last passage and was announcing that Neville may rest in peace eternally, Ebony was slowly reaching for her wand inside her robes. It had been so long since she used the wand, because she was afraid that if she did magic, the Ministry would locate her and bring her in for questioning. But now Dumbledore was with her, so she felt safe to use it. Dumbledore declared the funeral over, and everyone raised their head, not wanting to confirm their fears of what was moving behind them. But Harry had managed to slip away from the crowd, and shouted, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" at the nearing dementors. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and the other D.A, members did the same, and the Order was spreading out. With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore buried the grave, then mumbled a hasty prayer, and shouted instructions to the Order members.

Ebony didn't know what to do. It had been nearly seventeen years since she used her wand for really complicated spells like the Patronus Charm, but she felt that it was her duty to try her best.

Just as she was about to unleash her Patronus, Dumbledore grabbed her arm, and pulled her away.

"Albus! I was just about to…"

"I know, I know! But you can't. You haven't done magic for a long time, and I know you want to, but we can't give Tom a chance to find you. I understand that you were a Healer for a while after you graduated from Hogwarts? Well, I'm sure there will be injuries, so you must help them. Apparate back to Grimmauld Place, grab the First Aide Kit, and come back here. Oh, and grab some chocolate," Dumbledore explained.

Ebony was slightly disappointed. She wanted to be in the action with everyone else, but she needed to obey Dumbledore. She also didn't want to have her half-brother know she was here. 'But he may know anyway,' she thought.

Ginny had managed to keep about five dementors away from Ebony, as she was disapparating. Ginny kept glancing over at Harry who was able to keep about fifteen dementors away at a time. Determined not to become jealous, Ginny just kept focusing on her dream the previous night…that was her happy thought, and it was working quite well. She just kept thinking of Voldemort and Snape lying lifelessly on the floor, her mother announcing the wedding, and Harry about to kiss her…

'Just focus on the corpse, Voldemort is dead, I just killed him, but Ginny keeps appearing! She's not supposed to be here. Oh well, she can stay. She looks better in this lighting anyway. I can't believe I think about her so much. Never mind; focus. Voldemort is dead, I'm alive, the battle is over, the prophecy fulfilled, and Ginny's hugging me? She is hugging me, and this makes me happier than killing Voldemort! I must be out of mind, but Ginny really is hugging me!' Harry thought to himself as he was firing his Patronus Charm at about twelve dementors.

The dementors were going away now, and Ginny was hugging him. Ebony was handing out chocolate to everyone, and giving some people some potions. Ginny and Harry walked over to Ebony, and sat on the ground together, with Hermione, Ron, Dean, Luna, Cho, and Seamus. They began chatting animatedly about their plans after the Final Duel.

"I really want to be a Healer. What about you, Hermione?" Cho asked.

"I think being a Healer would be nice, but I also think a job at the Ministry would be good too. Maybe in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I could straighten them all out down there," Hermione replied, and Ron gave a smile that showed he very well knew that she would.

"Well, I want to continue the Quibbler with my father. But I'm going to reform the magazine. No more stories about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, or anything like that. It will be a 'normal' magazine if you will." Luna wasn't 'loony' anymore. After the Battle at the Department of Mysteries, she was very changed, and quite normal. She also became one of Ginny and Hermione's best friends.

"Well, I want to work in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. You too Dean, right?" Seamus said, and Dean nodded. Cho was looking over at Seamus, and when he looked back, she smiled and blushed.

Harry glanced over at Cho. They had patched up their friendship a few months before, and he was glad of it. Now they were just good friends, and he knew that she liked Seamus.

"Well, I dunno about anyone else, but I want to play Quidditch. I could lead England to the Cup, finally! Bring some glory to them all!" Ron declared, and Ginny grinned at her older brother with admiration.

"What about you Ginny?" Hermione asked, looking over at Ginny.

"Well, This may sound silly, but I want to be an Auror. I think that would be something I could really enjoy," Ginny replied sheepishly, her cheeks and ears turning slightly pink. But Harry didn't want her to feel embarrassed.

"Gin, that's not silly! I want to be an Auror, too. You've got the O.W.L.s, so you can be one. You'd be a really good one, actually."

Ginny grinned, and Harry suddenly remembered that he needed to leave, no matter how much he didn't want to.

"Guys, I've got to leave now. I know that I haven't talked to you guys much lately, but, as you know, I'm busy. If I come out of this alive, I promise, I will take everyone here to the World Cup next year!" Harry explained as he stood up.

"What the hell do you mean, 'if I come out of this alive'? Of course you're going to win. You're Harry Potter! Voldemort doesn't stand a chance!" Ron yelled enthusiastically.

Harry was speechless for a moment. Ron had never used Voldemort's name in front of him before. And they all believed in him, that he really could defeat Voldemort. Harry just wasn't sure if he thought he could do it alone. Harry grinned at Ron, who grinned back, and then all the girls stood up and gave him a hug, and the guys slapped him on the back. Harry went over to Dumbledore and mumbled something, and then he disapparated with a loud crack.

Just as Ebony finished handing out chocolate, and potions, she came over to Ginny and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ginny? Professor Dumbledore wants us both. I hope we're not in trouble!" Ebony joked, and Ginny knew that though Ebony was much older in body, her spirit could be no older than seventeen.

Ginny stood up and walked with Ebony over to Dumbledore. It was starting to rain, and the sky was darkening again, though this time it was natural. Dumbledore smiled at the two, and he motioned for them to follow him. He conjured a huge umbrella, and held it above himself, Ebony, and Ginny.

"So, Albus, when we will be leaving?" Ebony asked, just as she stepped in a puddle of mud.

Ginny laughed and pointed her wand at Ebony's shoe and the bottom of her jeans. "Scourgify," Ginny muttered, and Ebony playfully tapped Ginny on the shoulder.

"Well, right now, actually. But you will be acting as Muggles, and use the London Underground. If you need a map, I have a scar on my knee that is very precise," Dumbledore answered. Just then, Hermione screamed, and the three of them whipped around and darted back towards the gravesite. Moving towards Hermione, Ron, Dean, Luna, Cho, and Seamus, was Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen  
Back to Bulgaria**

"Wow! Look at all the people I get to kill! There's the weasel, and his girlfriend the Mudblood, the lunatic, and the girl who actually dated Potter. You could have done so much better, Chang. Like maybe Crabbe or Goyle, here," Malfoy snickered, and motioned to his left and right, and the thug-like Crabbe and Goyle appeared beside him.

"And then there's the boys who follow Potter and Weasley around, but it looks like one's missing! Oh, that's right! I kill-" Malfoy was tackled by Ebony and sent to the ground.

Though it was extremely funny, no one dared laugh because they knew that Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle wouldn't hesitate in hurting them. But the three young Death Eaters bent down to Malfoy, and Ginny signaled that Ron, Hermione, Luna, Dean, Seamus, and Cho run over to where she was.

Ginny instructed them to stay there while she went to help Ebony.

"So now you have forty-year olds helping you out, weasel-girl?" Malfoy asked as he pushed himself up and attempted to brush the mud off his robe. The rain was really pouring down now, and their vision was being impaired. 'If Harry was here, he could tell us the spell to use to keep the rain off our faces…' thought Ginny.

"You think I'm forty? Try sixty-five. Ashamed to be knocked down by an old woman, Malfoy? Oh, and is your dear old dad still serving To-," Ebony stopped herself, not wanting to give any clues about her relations with Voldemort, "Voldemort?"

"How dare you speak his name! Well at least you're pure-blood unlike this blood-traitor filth next to you," Malfoy whispered as though he was horrified.

"How dare you talk about Ginny like that! And for your information, I'm Muggle-born. But you master's no better than I. He's a half-blood you know. Or hasn't he told you? I was just assuming he mentioned it at your last tea party, or something…" Ebony retaliated, and Ginny realized that Ebony needed to stop before she got them both killed.

"Eb, no, just stop. He'll kill us both!" Ginny whispered urgently as she nudged Ebony in the ribs. Just in time, Lupin, Tonks, Mr. Weasley, and Moody appeared beside Ebony and Ginny, with their wands out.

Curses and hexes were shot back and forth, and Ebony looked jealously at them all. She cantered back over to the First-Aid station she set up, and sat down with her chin in her hands. Dumbledore and McGonagall were busy keeping everyone who wasn't dueling away from the battle. Ginny was pulled out of the fight seconds before Nott sent a Cruciatus Curse her way.

Ginny walked slowly over to Ebony, to watch the battle. They both sat there, disappointed that they couldn't be in the action.

When the Order had clearly won the duel, and Ebony patched everyone up, Dumbledore bound Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott together with invisible ropes and sent them somewhere with a flick of his wand. 

"So, you're sixty-five? I wouldn't have guessed much higher than Malfoy did. Are you a Metamorphmagus?" Ginny asked, still shocked from when Ebony declared her age.

"Yep, you're exactly right! I could've been an Auror, but I wasn't really into risking my life everyday. Once in a while's fine, but I couldn't do that for a living," Ebony joked. Ginny let out a short laugh, and Ebony watched the young, youthful sixteen-year old beside her with just the slightest bit of envy.

The two girls sat there and laughed for a few minutes, until Dumbledore and McGonagall walked over to them.

"Minerva? I-I can't believe it's you!" Ebony exclaimed, and jumped to her feet. McGonagall smiled, and replied, "It's me. I was thinking about our school days last night. Even though I was five years older than you, we were inseparable. I can't believe you're actually here, though," McGonagall smiled like Ginny had never seen her before.

"Well, ladies, I'm afraid you'll have to be separated once more, as Ginevra and Ebony must be leaving. Ginny, do you remember where Krum's body is? Because we need to get him back. So first, do that and then you must take the London Underground, and act as Muggles for a while. I will alert you when you must separate again," Dumbledore instructed.

Ginny and Ebony moved a few feet away. Hermione came over and hugged them both, and everyone else waved goodbye. In two loud cracks, they were gone.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen  
Underneath the Underground **

"Thank you ladies. Now you must apparate back to Grimmauld Place and walk to the Underground. Just get off wherever you want, and act as Muggles act. Ginny, I'm sure Ebony will be able to help you if you need it. I wonder if he's been asleep this whole time?" Dumbledore asked, looking down at Krum's motionless body. Ebony and Ginny both shrugged their shoulders, and Dumbledore sent Krum back to Grimmauld Place with a flick of his wand.

Harry was walking through the streets of Little Hangleton, a Muggle town. He couldn't find the house anywhere, so he stopped and asked a woman for directions.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm looking for the old Riddle House. Could you please point me in the right direction?" Harry asked politely. He was determined not to use magic until he was inside the house.

The woman looked frightened at the sound of 'Riddle House' and shook her head violently as though to shake any memories of it out of her mind. She walked away quickly and Harry was left alone in the road.

Harry looked all around him, but the house was nowhere to be seen. Only small cottages and trees were amidst the foggy little town. He was about to head off towards the east, when he felt something (or someone) tap him on the shoulder.

"Should we get off here, or at the next stop?" Ginny asked Ebony as they rode along the Underground.  
"Well, let's just wait for the next one. I dunno know exactly where we are, so I think it would be best to just wait a few minutes," Ebony replied while studying the confusing map.

"I think it's upside-down, Eb," laughed Ginny, as she turned the map over on Ebony's lap.

"Thanks, Ginny, I would've held it that way the whole time!" Ebony replied.

A few minutes later, Ebony and Ginny were wandering around the place where they had been left off. Neither of them knew where they were, and they couldn't find the steps to get back on the street above.

A loud crack sounded a few feet away, and both Ginny and Ebony knew what that sound was.

"We aren't alone, I guess. It may be someone form the Order apparating here, but it could also be a Death Eater, so get your wand out!" Ebony instructed, and Ginny hastily reached inside her robes. She checked both pockets, and even in her jeans, but her wand was nowhere to be found.

"I, I don't have it, Eb! I can't find it anywhere!" Ginny whispered frantically, still searching.

Ebony watched Ginny search for her wand, and then she saw a jet of red light ahead. "I'll be right back, I just want to see what that was," Ebony whispered to Ginny who was almost in tears.

Although she wasn't prepared to use it, Ebony withdrew her wand from inside her jacket. She followed the path to where she estimated the light to have been cast, and she found a set of steps leading farther underground. 'I just hope I don't see any rats. I hate rats!' she thought to herself as she descended the grimy steps. 

Harry turned around to see a woman of about sixty-five standing behind him. The woman wore a grim expression on her face, and she had long black robes on. Harry concluded that she must be a witch. He took a chocolate frog card out of his pocket and showed it to the woman, just to be sure. She nodded her head; this was the new security system. The chocolate frog cards were made so only witches, squibs, and wizards could see them.

Harry put the card back in his pocket and he introduced himself. "I'm Harry Potter. I'm looking for the old Riddle house. Do you know where it is?"

"I can take you there, if you want. My name is Ivy Bellum. I live in Great Hangleton, and I'm here to visit my cousin, but she isn't here. I guess she's in hiding like most o' the rest of them," the woman replied. Her light gray hair shined against the fog that was left after the rain earlier that day. Harry sensed no danger in this woman, and so he followed her a little ways down the road.

Ebony looked around the small passageway that she was now following. It was extremely warm and humid where she was, and Ebony peeled off her jacket and laid it over her arm. She heard a soft pattering noise on the floor, looked down and saw a fat rat scuttling by, and for a fleeting moment she wanted to turn back. She shivered but continued on.

Ebony rounded the corner, and saw a tall, thin, cloaked person. Their face was hidden in shadows, and therefore Ebony didn't know who or what it was. She edged closer to the wall, her knuckles turning white from her tight grip on her wand. Her palms and her face were sweating, and she felt as if she were about to scream for help. But she kept her mouth shut, (from talking), and took a deep breath. The person lit their wand with the Lumos spell, and held the light a bit closer to their face. Ebony saw a thin, skeletal, bone-white face with two red, cat-like eyes looking back at her, and that was the last thing she remembered…


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen  
Inside the Riddle House**

Harry and Ivy were standing outside of the enormous estate, just staring at it. Harry knew he had to go in, but he half-wanted to go back to Grimmauld Place and give up. He knew what the magic he had to use was, but he didn't know how to use it. The magic, he hoped, would weaken Voldemort enough that he would surrender and just let Harry kill him. Harry didn't know how he was supposed to do that either. He didn't want to use Avada Kedavra, but he didn't know any other way to kill Voldemort quickly.

"I 'spose we should be headin' inside then. Unless you want to go at it alone." Ivy suggested, but Harry knew that she had her own reasons for going inside, and he didn't mind her going in with him.

"Nah, we can both go in. I kind of got the impression that you wanted to go in for your own reasons, and I won't ask them if you don't ask mine," Harry replied.

Ivy nodded and they walked up the stone path towards the front door. Ivy magically unlocked the door, and they both went inside. The front hall was absolutely enormous and its highly polished floors showed their reflections. They proceeded onward until they found a spiral staircase. Harry stayed downstairs and Ivy went upstairs…

"Ebony, wake up! It's me, Ginny!" Ginny was shouting as she lifted Ebony's head off the ground. Ginny had followed Ebony down here and when Ebony saw the boggart, it turned into her half-brother, Voldemort. Ginny knew it was a boggart because as soon as 'Voldemort' faced her, he turned into a giant basilisk coming closer and closer to her. A soon as Ginny grabbed Ebony's wand, (she still couldn't find hers), and shouted, "Ridikkulus!" the basilisk disappeared and Ginny noticed a wooden crate that looked as though someone blasted the top off of it just as Ebony entered the room.

Ebony opened her eyes and looked up at Ginny. She was very pale, and Ginny handed her a chocolate frog from inside of her pocket. Ebony unwrapped it graciously, and Ginny smiled at her. Ginny continued to look around for any clues as to who could have brought the boggart here. The person apparently apparated here and put the box in this room, then blasted the top off of it. Whomever had done it had to know that she and Ebony were here, and they wanted to scare them away.

Ebony sat up and told Ginny everything she had seen and heard, which brought a shrewd conclusion as to who could have done it.

"Though I hate to say it, I think it was Wormtail on Voldemort's orders. I know rats are common down here, but I'm 99 sure it was him. Someone purposely wanted to scare you enough that we would give up, but we're not going to. Eb, I think your brother knows that you're on our side. I have a question, and you don't have to answer it if you don't want to. Does Voldemort know that you're his half-sister?" Ginny asked after explaining her theory.

"Well, yes, he does. He's known ever since I was eleven, Dumbledore told me. When he killed my father and his parents, he wanted to kill me and my mother too. It's a good thing that my parents didn't stay married because I might not be here right now if they had. My mother tried to keep me as far away from Tom as she could, but once, when I was fourteen, there was an extremely close call. At the end of my fourth year, as I was getting off the train from Hogwarts, I noticed him. Of course, I hadn't really known who he was. He was tall and pretty good-looking, and I just glanced at him for a moment. But he followed me off the platform. He tried to pretend that he wasn't, but I knew he was. When I met my mother outside of the station, I told her that he was following me. She said she would handle it, and she walked over to him and told me to get in the car. I didn't listen and followed her. She said, 'I thought I told you what would happen if you ever came near her! I'll be a certified witch in a month and you'd better watch out then. She can't ever know who you are, do you understand me? You are not going to ever get that close to her again! I will inform the Minister about you and file a report against you! You'll be in Azkaban the next time you come within ten yards of her!' And then I hurried back to the car and pretended I was loading my trunk the whole time. When I first received my Hogwarts letter, my mother talked to Professor Dippet to see if there was any way for her to become a witch. She started taking Kwikspell courses that year and when I started my fifth year, she was a certified witch. My mother is still alive, but she's in St. Mungo's because Tom ordered some Death Eaters to kill us the night that he went out for Harry. Obviously, they didn't kill us because we're both still alive, but my mum was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse much like the Longbottoms were. She sacrificed herself in order to save me. Gerald and I had just gotten married about a month before it all, and my mother was visiting us at our home. The Death Eaters broke into the house, and Gerald tried to get help. I didn't know why they were there, but my mother did. We hid in our neighbor's closet and she told me everything she could before they found us. I felt so angry and scared that I wished I would just die, and just before they were about to send the Avada Kedavra curse my way, Gerald came into the room and stunned three of them. My mother pushed me out of the way and she was hit with the Cruciatus Curse. Gerald and I both stunned the one who did it but it was too late to save her from the permanent damage she suffers from today. We unmasked all the Death Eaters. I didn't know who the other three were, but the one who tortured my mother was Lucius Malfoy. He is six years younger than I am, and I knew him when he was only a first year at Hogwarts and I was a seventh year. He knew so many curses and hexes that I was amazed he wasn't a Death Eater already! I remember when he stunned my friend, Ivy Bellum, when she wasn't looking. She had to stay in the Hospital Wing for a week, and from that day on I hated Lucius so much. That would hopefully explain my attack on young Draco earlier. Does that answer your question?" Ebony let out a long sigh as she finished her story.

Ginny nodded and smiled a smile of sympathy that gave Ebony enough energy to stand up from the hard, dirty ground. The two girls made their way up the stairs and back to where the Underground had let them off. They had finally found the steps leading up to the street, but Ginny's wand was still nowhere to be seen…

Harry walked through the downstairs, looking for anything that might be helpful to him. But there were no photographs or scrapbooks, or journals or anything that could give Harry any information about Voldemort. Harry hopelessly made his way towards the wrought-iron spiral staircase that Ivy was now descending.

"This house is so boring, you would never guess that anyone had ever lived in it. They have absolutely no photographs or journals or ANYTHING that would help me!" Harry professed with a long sigh. Ivy furrowed her brow as she looked at Harry sitting on the musty old couch with his chin in his hands.

"Well, I saw some photographs upstairs, but there were only a few. I didn't really look at them, though," Ivy said in hopes of comforting this teenage boy.

"If you don't mind my asking, did you go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, trying to make some polite conversation.

"Yes; I was in Ravenclaw. I had two best friends, and I still keep in touch with one, but I don't know what ever happened to the other. Minerva McGonagall was a few years ahead of me, and she was in Gryffindor. I write her every once in a while, and we've seen each other occasionally. But, Ebony was in Ravenclaw, same year as me, and I don't even know if she's dead or alive," Ivy replied.

"Ebony Riddle?" Harry asked, astonished.

"Why, yes! We was as close as sisters. Spent holidays at each other's homes every year, and we were rarely seen apart. We was both Muggle-born, or 'Mud-bloods' as that hateful little beast Lucius Malfoy would say. He always had his nose in other people's affairs, and cursed them for the hell of it. He was only a firs' year when I was a seventh, but he got me good one time. I was talking to Ebony in the hall, and he stunned me as soon as I turned around. Ebony was in a right state about that and she vowed to get him back one day. I don't know if she ever did, though. But I'm sure she's thought of it. She always was one for holdin' grudges. I remember when we was in our firs' year, a handsome, dark-haired seventh year offered to escort Ebony to her class, but she plain dead ignored him! I'm sure I would o' let him, but she was the independent sort, and only eleven at the time. And since that day, she ignored his very presence! It's a strange thing, too. Both o' their names was Riddle, but she never even met him before! They looked so much alike, too, but I took her word for it. I 'spose it was a good thing, though, because wouldn't ya know he turned out to be He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! But do you know Ebony and if she's still among the living?"

Ginny and Ebony made their way through the crowded London streets as they searched for anything unusual. They went into a small café and ordered some coffee. (Ebony had to pay because Ginny was too confused with the Muggle money.) They sat down at a table and chatted quietly about the weather and things like that as they scoped out the place and made sure they didn't recognize anyone. A half hour later they were back outside when Ginny heard a small voice from inside of her jacket. Ebony and Ginny ducked inside a small pub, and Ginny went into the corner and took the charm bracelet from Hermione out of her pocket.

"Ginevra, this is Albus. You need to go to Diagon Alley now. The Death Eaters have cornered a group of thirteen-year olds and Order members are on their way. Do not, I repeat, do NOT go near the battle. You need to meet me in Madame Malkins's. Go now as fast as you can!" the bracelet squeaked and then went silent.

"Okay, we need to go to the Leaky Cauldron," Ginny whispered as she stuffed the bracelet back inside her pocket.

Ebony grabbed her arm, and said, "Um, Gin, we ARE in the Leaky Cauldron."

Ginny looked around and nodded as they made their way to the back room where the brick wall was…

Harry and Ivy ascended the spiral staircase, and Harry followed Ivy to the room where she had seen the photographs. Harry sat down on an ancient rocking chair and studied the photos carefully. There was a man and his two elderly parents standing outside of the house, a man sitting on the couch with his two elderly parents, and a man with his wife and daughter standing in front of a spiral staircase. All of the photographs were black and white, and taken by a Muggle camera.

"These are no good," Harry muttered as he tossed the pictures back on the desk. Ivy had been sitting on the chest at the foot of the bed, when she suddenly sprang up.

"I didn't check this chest, 'ere!" she exclaimed, and flung the chest open.

Harry bent down next to her as she sifted through the photographs and various journals and diaries.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen  
Separation and Anxiety  
**  
Ginny and Ebony had rushed to Madame Malkins's Robe Shop as Dumbledore had instructed. Once inside, Ebony was instructed to take care of the children the Death Eaters had cornered. Ginny explained how she had lost her wand, and Dumbledore told her to use the Shadow Orb.

'I need my wand! I really, really need my wand!' Ginny thought, and as she reached into her pocket again, she felt her wand, safe, and in her control. Dumbledore took his own wand in his hand, and procured a long baton-like piece of metal. He took it in his hand, and snapped it with a touch of his wand. From the point where the baton snapped flowed a silvery mist that he caught in a silver goblet.

"Drink this. It will heal you of any tiredness or injuries. Hurry!" Dumbledore instructed as he handed the goblet to Ginny. She drank it happily and a warm sensation swept over her. She felt as if she was just waking up in the morning after a good night's sleep. She looked at Dumbledore who was hastily putting his wand away. Dumbledore looked down at Ginny's rosy face as he was vanishing the goblet she had just drunk. She looked so sober, and calm as if she knew she was going to be victorious in helping Harry. Her confidence and calm seemed to relax him. Dumbledore smiled peacefully at this little girl before him, and for the first time ever, Ginny had given Dumbledore a hug.

"Ivy, look for any pictures with You-Know-Who in them. I'll read these journals," Harry instructed as he grabbed a few books and chose one to read.

Harry read and read and read until his eyes were sore. Ivy had separated the pictures into 'useful' and 'not useful' piles. As she scanned the photos for any trace of Tom Marvolo Riddle, Harry learned a few things that might help him defeat Voldemort…

Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again, Ginny noticed, as she separated herself from him after hugging him. It seemed like he hadn't been hugged by many people in his life. She smiled and then waited fro his next directions. Dumbledore conjured two chairs for them both to sit on, and as they sat down, Lupin ran into the shop, out of breath.

"Moody's-been-injured-badly-by-Nott-and-he's-being-patched-up-now-but-we-don't know-if-he's gonna-make it," Lupin informed in between breaths. Dumbledore and Ginny stood up to follow Lupin, but Dumbledore gave Ginny a stern look that told her she was not to follow.

As they rushed out the door, Ginny kicked over a stool in her anger. She wanted to see if she could do anything, but they wouldn't let her come, just like when she was younger and they wouldn't let her do things her brothers and Harry and Hermione did.

'I'll just go anyway. They can't stop me from apparating there…' Ginny thought with a mischievous grin on her face. She went outside the door to the shop, and was about to apparate when she heard Ebony scream…

"Someone help me! GINNYYYYYYYYY… AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Ginny ran as fast as she could to where Ebony was fixing up Moody a few seconds ago. They were both lying on the ground with their eyes closed. Ebony's head was bleeding badly, and Moody's left arm was a bloody stub. Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, George, Hagrid, Shacklebolt, and the whole D.A. were fighting the Death Eaters. But they were still outnumbered. Ginny levitated Moody and Ebony's bodies and ran back to the robes shop. She performed an unbreakable lock charm on the door, and conjured two cots for Ebony and Moody to lie on. She slowly floated their bodies onto the cots and let them rest gently. She grabbed two particularly ugly robes and used her wand to strip them to pieces she could use to wrap up Mood's arm and Ebony's head.

A few minutes passed, then a half hour, and then an hour, and Ginny, Moody, and Ebony were still alone in the robes shop. Both of them were still breathing, and Ginny was constantly checking their pulses. Finally, someone was tapping softly on the window to the shop. Ginny pulled back the curtain and saw Hedwig with a letter for her. She pulled open the window, and Hedwig flew in gracefully. She circled the room a few times before dropping the letter on Ginny's lap. Ginny stoked her beautiful snowy-white feathers as she was looking at Moody and Ebony. She wished they would just wake up and then she wouldn't be as worried about them.

But they still lie there motionlessly, so Ginny tore open her letter as she sat on a footstool.

Ginny,  
Dumbledore told me what happened. Stay where you are! I need to talk to you on the 25th, so just stay out of trouble. Keep Moody and Ebony with you until the battle is over and someone comes to take them to St. Mungo's. I know you probably think I'm being selfish by not helping out in any of these battles, but I need to keep up my work on figuring out how to defeat Voldemort. Thanks for thinking of me, and know that I'm thinking about you too.  
Harry

The letter, instead of making her feel more secure, made her feel even more anxious than ever. Ginny let Hedwig back out of the window and then moved the footstool in between the two beds as she held her head in her hands. She suddenly realized that these may be the last few days of her life, and how much she wished she had never been born. She selfishly wished that she could die and be rid of all this emotion, because she was sure that death would feel much better than how she felt now. And she was going to lose her faithful partner of about eight hours, though it had felt like a few days. Ginny just kept thinking that by August 1, it would all have to be over, whether anyone won or not.

"Ebony, please, keep breathing. They'll be coming soon, but you have to keep fighting!" Ginny urged as she held Ebony's surprisingly warm hand. Moody was waking up now, and he sat up on his cot, holding the bloody rag on his left arm.

"Thank you, Weasley. I don't know if I would have made it without you. I'm not too sure about her, though. We'll go to St. Mungo's; I can take her there and I'll get Molly to come with us. But you need to keep your mind on your work. We'll be okay, but you need to leave NOW! I'll tell Dumbledore about everything," Moody growled, as he reached in his pocket with his uninjured arm for his wand. He levitated Ebony's body, and performed the counter-charm on the unbreakable lock on the door.

"Molly! Molly, I need your help. We need to go to St. Mungo's immediately," Moody shouted to Mrs. Weasley who was sitting on the curb across the street, crying. Moody paused and turned to Ginny. "Remember…Ginny…CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

After wiping her eyes and kissing Ginny on the forehead, Mrs. Weasley took over levitating Ebony in the air, as Moody stuck out his wand, signaling the Knight Bus. In a flash of purple, they were gone, and Ginny was left sitting on the curb all alone.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen  
Midnight Meeting**

The redhead named Ginny Weasley had finished thinking and stood up from the dusty step. She checked her watch; it was exactly midnight. She fixed her cloak and wiped her eyes, and then she put her hand on the door handle. Taking a deep breath, Ginny pulled the door open and entered the small wooden room.

"Ginny! I'm so glad you're here!" Harry exclaimed as he hurried towards Ginny and hugged her. But Ginny still looked somber and remained silent.

"What's the matter? Are you okay?"

Ginny was determined not to cry when she told Harry what happened. Half of her was furious with Harry for not being there, and the other half understood that Harry couldn't be there, and that joining the Order involved risks. But her eyes brimmed with tears as she opened her mouth to speak the horrible news…

Ebony was walking down Diagon Alley when Voldemort appeared with Ginny chained to him. Harry was lying on the ground, blood trickling from his scar. He was trying very hard to get up, but every time he did, Lucius or Draco Malfoy would hit him with another Cruciatus Curse. Voldemort pulled his wand out from beneath his flowing black cloak, and pointed it threateningly at Ginny. Ginny's face was pearly white with fear, and looked as if she were about to pass out any minute. On Snape's orders, a huge crowd of dementors swooped down on Ebony, and as she tried to fight them off, a high cold voice rang, followed by cruel laughter.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" came the voice through green flashes of light and delighted, cruel laughter from those watching.

Ebony was able to see through a small space between the cloaks of the dementors. Ginny was lying lifelessly on the floor where she had been standing seconds before. The chains that bound her to Voldemort clanged to the ground. A look of pure terror painted on Ginny's lightly freckled face was enough to make anyone lose their breath. Harry was still struggling against the Cruciatus Curse when Voldemort strode over to where she was standing… 

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Ebony as she sat up in her bed in St. Mungo's. A cold sweat covered her body, and was panting heavily as an aftermath of her nightmare. Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were sitting at her bedside, and they called to the Healer in charge of Ebony.

"Where am I? What happened?" Ebony asked breathlessly. She felt the color come back to her cheeks, and she was able to catch her breath.

"Don't you remember? The Death Eaters in Diagon Alley attacked you and Moody, and you've been unconscious ever since. We, well, we didn't think you were going to make it," Tonks answered gravely as she reached over and patted Ebony's hand.

"What about Moody? Is he okay?" Ebony asked with an anxious look on her face.

"Yes, dear, he's fine. He lost his hand, but he's now got a magnificent replacement. It works well, he says, and it matches his leg. But someone," Mrs. Weasley felt tears forming in her eyes, "someone died." 

"Harry, Dad died. Lucius Malfoy killed him right after right after Mom, Moody, and Ebony left. I saw the whole thing, and Dumbledore looked as if he was a mad man. He produced these gold ropes that he whipped at Malfoy until all the Death Eaters left. But there was no hope for Dad; he was hit by Avada Kedavra in the chest," Ginny paused and wiped her eyes. Harry's face was mixed with fear, shock, and hatred. Ginny continued coldly, "His funeral was yesterday. I tried to tell you about it, but I guess you thought it was Lupin on the mirror again?"

Harry looked extremely ashamed. Ginny wished she wouldn't have just said that, but before she could apologize, Harry did.

"I'm really sorry Ginny. I had no idea…I mean, I should've kept the mirror on. I just didn't want to be disturbed, but I could never have imagined that anything like this would happen. I'm really sorry. How's your mom and brothers holding up?"

Ginny accepted the apology, but in her heart she didn't feel it was enough. She missed her father so much, and she wished he 'd joined the Order. For the second time in five days, she wished she could just die and never have to feel pain and anxiety again.

After assuring Harry that he was forgiven and that her family was okay, she began to tell him what she really needed to for the past month.

"Harry, you need to listen to me. Please, don't interrupt me because I'm just as confused about it as you'll be. Just let me say it, and then I'll try and answer your questions when I'm done…"

In a country far away, Death Eaters were apparating to their master's side. Voldemort's reason's were yet unknown to them, but they had good news for him. He would be very pleased with them, they thought as they obediently knelt before their master. But they were wrong: very wrong…

Harry looked at Ginny incredulously. He had heard her clearly enough, but he couldn't comprehend what she had just told him.

"You can help me? How?"

"I don't know, Harry! I really don't know! I've been worried sick for the past month that we would both die because of me. Can't you see I'm not ready for this? But Dumbledore's positive it's me. No matter how many times I beg him to check if there's another girl fitting that description, he still shakes his head and sends me away. He's really nervous too. There's no sparkle left in his eyes. You don't know how we all feel, Harry. You just don't. I wished I would've been able to tell you sooner, but you wouldn't answer-"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL? I HAVE TO EITHER KILL VOLDEMORT OR HE HAS TO KILL ME! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL, GINNY! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE THE ONLY ONE ABLE TO DESTROY THE DARKEST WIZARD ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY-"

"HARRY, I CAN SHOUT JUST AS LOUD AS YOU BUT IT WON'T SOLVE ANYTHING!" Ginny shouted back, her face reddening with anger to match Harry's. "Please calm down. I don't know what you're going through, you're right. But you can't possibly imagine how worried everyone is about you, how worried I am about you. And they're worried about me, too. Anyone who wants to kill me can kill me. I can tell you weren't expecting me to scream back at you?" Ginny giggled as she looked at Harry's face.

"Ginny, I'm sorry. It's just so frustrating for me; I have nothing! I know how to defeat Voldemort, but I don't know if I can do it. He could kill me at any second; I wish I had enough courage to just walk up and say, 'Avada Kedavra!' and it would be all over! But it isn't that simple. He may try to do that, but I am not him; that was made clear when I was sorted into Gryffindor. I am going to fight for all those who've died nobly at the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. None of them deserved it, which is what makes it so unfair. I need to tell you something I've never told anyone before, Ginny. Can I trust you?" Harry reached over and squeezed her hand, looking deeply into her beautiful honey-brown eyes.

"Of course Harry, you can trust me with anything," Ginny answered, smiling slightly. She didn't want him to take his hand away, and he didn't.

"When I went to the Department of Mysteries last summer, I found out what the 'magic greater and more terrible than death' was. I'll explain that in a minute. But first, I want you to think back to your fourth year, and the battle at the Department of Mysteries," Harry paused and gulped, "when Sirius was killed. Bellatrix sent him through the veil that we heard voices behind. On the last night of term, Luna commented about the veil. She could hear them too. I hadn't yet realized what it was beyond that veil. But last summer, the first thing I did was go to that veil. I sat on the ground in front of it and waited for two hours to hear the voices again. I just sat there, calm and still, to hear the voices. And they spoke to me; they called my name, and they sounded so real. I answered them, and they told me to hold on a minute, that there were a few people who wanted to talk to me. I waited patiently, and about five minutes later I heard them. Ginny, I heard my parents and Sirius! They talked to me and told me they knew about the prophecy, and they were the ones who told me what the magic was, Ginny! It was them who told me; I didn't figure it out. I've never told anyone that, even Dumbledore. But I trust you, Gin, I really do…"

"P-p-please, Master, forgive us. W-w-w-we thought we were following orders when we killed Arthur-" Rookwood started as he was laying on the floor in front of the Dark Lord.

"THE DARK LORD DOES NOT FORGIVE, NOR DOES HE FORGET ROOKWOOD! I do not forgive any of you! You disobeyed my orders; you knew that, didn't you! I told you to kill that filthy Mud-blood and the Weasley girl, not her father! But they're both alive and well right now! Rookwood, you know what this means. That was your second chance, and you failed. Draco, kill him."

"I need to speak with Dumbledore! I need to talk to him!" protested Ebony after she had gotten dressed. Molly and Tonks were still there; assuring Ebony that Dumbledore would be there any minute.

"Ebony, I am here. Please calm down," Dumbledore said gravely as he entered Ebony's room. He sat down on a brown armchair near the window after asking Mrs. Weasley and Tonks to leave.

"Albus, I had a horrible nightmare! I saw Ginny die, and Harry was being tortured by Voldemort, and then he was going to kill me-"

"Ebony, you said it yourself: it was a nightmare, and nothing more. I've been having very similar dreams lately; it is not uncommon when you are worried about people. But I assure you that they are fine. They are presumably talking right now at the Shrieking Shack; it is currently half-past midnight. And don't blame yourself for Arthur's death. He died nobly, and he did it to save the rest of the Order. He will be remembered in history, Ebony. His death should be on no one's conscience except Lucius Malfoy's; that is, if Lucius had a conscience…But no matter. He knew what he was doing, and he will be honored. But you may leave and go back to Grimmauld Place if you like. I'm sure Molly will stay with you." Dumbledore's words comforted Ebony a little, but she didn't want to sit at Grimmauld Place while Harry and Ginny were out in the world, unprotected and vulnerable.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty  
United in Hope**

"Now, it says 'ere that I need to think about what I just read on this other paper 'ere…that Harry Potter, he's a tricky one! I 'spose I could try though," Ivy laughed as she read the note from Harry outside of Grimmauld Place. All of a sudden, in between Numbers Thirteen and Eleven, sprang Number Twelve…

"Ebony, you can take Ginny and Hermione's room tonight. I'll clear out another room for you by tomorrow," Molly said when they first arrived at Number Twelve earlier that morning. The whole house was silent, but neither woman objected because they had grown quite fond of the idea of no portrait wailing insults at them all.

Ebony dropped her trunk by the door as she slipped off her sweater and placed it on the coat rack by the door. She smelled the citrus-y air as she walked through the kitchen. 'A citruscenta charm,' Ebony thought to herself as she sat down at the wooden table. She had seen pictures of how horrible the place had looked a few years before, and she couldn't imagine this clean, sweet-smelling house ever being that dingy and dirty. 'Molly wouldn't have had it any other way,' Ebony contemplated, her chin in her hand.

"No elbows on the table, dear," Mrs. Weasley reminded and Ebony sat up straight in her chair.

"Molly, I think it's so sweet how you take care of me like everyone else, even though I'm a few years older than you!" Ebony replied with a small giggle to herself.

"Well, you're almost like family now, dear, and I love to take care of my family. But you're not that much older than I am. Why, I'm one year younger than, than Arthur," Molly paused, and gulped, but continued on, "was, and he was the same age as Lucius Malfoy."

Ebony felt much sympathy for Molly and the rest of the Weasleys, for they were great people, and although they wouldn't dare show it, having lost two family members made them seem much smaller, and they probably secretly wished they had never joined the Order.

'But Molly is strong, and she'll be fine, especially with Dumbledore and the rest of the Order taking care of her and the children,' Ebony reassured herself as she summoned two coffee mugs and sugar and cream. She filled the mugs with rich, hot coffee from the tip of her wand, and motioned fro Molly to sit down and drink. They began talking about Ebony's husband, when they heard a knock on the door.

"Almost strange, not hearing Mrs. Black wailing and screaming dreadful things when someone's at the door. I almost didn't hear it altogether!" Molly set down her mug, and untied her apron as she made her way through to the front of the house. Ebony followed her through the front hall, where she then sent her trunk upstairs into the girl's room. Mrs. Weasley opened the door, and standing there was a woman in her mid-sixties wearing red robes, and iron-gray hair.

"Harry! Harry wake up! Your scar is bleeding, Harry! Are you alright?" Ginny shook Harry's shoulders violently and kept dabbing his scar with the end of her robes. It was the next morning around 10:00. Harry and Ginny had fallen asleep in the small shack the night before, exhausted from all the explanations

Harry opened his eyes wearily and smiled grimly as he looked up at Ginny who was sitting on his chest now, getting ready to slap him again. She stood up and stepped over him, and then walked into the far, dark corner of the room and folded her arms across her chest. Harry thought he heard her sob a few times, but he wasn't sure. He pressed his hand to his scar and felt the warm blood trickle down his arm. He quickly ripped off a piece of his T-shirt from beneath his wizarding robes and pressed it to his forehead to try and stop the bleeding.

He knew why his scar was bleeding. Voldemort was angry with the Death Eaters for yet again disobeying orders. Harry knew that Voldemort didn't sense him that time, and it was good thing, because he had learned something extremely important.

He had been Voldemort, shouting at a crowd of about a hundred Death Eaters telling them that they had failed and were all disgraces to Salazar Slytherin.

"You fools! I told you to find and kill the Weasley girl and bring Potter to me! But all you could do was kidnap the Mud-blood Granger? You're all filthy disgraces. If I had enough extras, I'd kill you all right now, but I'm forced to spare your lives. Lock the girl in the tower; she will be executed at midnight on July 31 for I must inform my FAITHFUL servants of their new directives. As for you worthless little toads, stay here and keep guard. I'm sure Dumbledore will send an army of duelists to try and get the girl back. And I warn you now; if you fail again, you will be turned over to the dementors who will dispose of you on my command…"

Then he had woken up to find Ginny sitting on his chest, slapping him in the face and pressing her robes to his forehead. He knew that Hermione was in trouble, and he had to inform Dumbledore immediately.

"Ginny! Hermione's been captured and will be killed if we don't do something. Send Hedwig to Dumbledore and tell him. I have to go now…"

"I'm coming with you then! I'm supposed to help you Harry, and if I'm not there, I won't be much of a help, will I!" Ginny retaliated, anger burning in her cheeks. Harry knew that he couldn't deny he could use her help, but he would rather leave on his own.

"Fine. Hedwig, take this to Dumbledore as soon as I've finished it. And go as fast as you can!" Harry took out a quill and a piece of parchment from his robes and began to scribble a note on it.

Ginny seemed to have cooled down, and she gathered her things and began to descend the stairs to leave the small room. 

"Merlin! Is that Ivy Bellum?" Ebony exclaimed as she saw who was standing just outside of Number Twelve.

"A friend of yours, eh? Well now dear, come in, come in, and make yourself at home. I'm Molly Weasley, but you can just call me Molly. Ivy is it? Well, it's nice to meet you," Mrs. Weasley greeted as she ushered Ivy inside.

"Goodness, I didn't know if I'd ever see ya again, Ebony. Molly, it's a pleasure. I don't suppose Albus Dumbledore is here?" Ivy replied as she looked around the hall.

"He should be here soon. Why don't you two do some catching-up in the drawing room while I prepare some lunch for us? I expect my boys and Dumbledore will be joining us shortly," Mrs. Weasley suggested as she strode off into the kitchen. Ebony and Ivy thanked her graciously as they made their way into the drawing room, not knowing where to begin.

"Afternoon, Albus. A woman by the name of Ivy Bellum is here; she's in the drawing room with Ebony right now, I suppose. My, my, you're all here! I'd only been planning on Ron and the twins, but the more the merrier!" Mrs. Weasley chimed a half hour later as she greeted Dumbledore, Fred, George, Ron, Charlie and Bill at the front door.

They all wandered over to the drawing room, and watched Dumbledore gently tap the door with his wand. Ebony opened the door and merrily greeted the new arrivals.

"Albus, hello! This is Ivy Bellum, everyone. We were best friends at Hogwarts. And these handsome boys are Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, and Ronald Weasley." Ebony beamed at them all, and Ivy shook each of their hands.

"Excuse me, but Albus, could I have a word with you?" Ivy bellowed in her raspy voice after greeting everyone. Dumbledore nodded and led Ivy out of the room, leaving the rest of them by themselves.

Ebony followed Molly into the kitchen to finish making lunch, and the boys settled themselves on the sofa and armchairs.

"I wonder who she is?" Ron whispered after making sure the women and Dumbledore were out of sight.

"Um, let me think…she said her name was Ivy, but I wonder who she is…? You git! What do you mean?" Fred asked in a menacing whisper after backhanding Ron in the head.

"Oy, Fred!" Ron replied, rubbing his forehead. "I know what her name is, but I wonder what she's doing here."

"She's probably come to join the Order. What else could she be here for?" Bill answered, leaning his head back in his chair, his fanged earring dangling close to his shoulder.

"I 'spose so. But maybe she knows something helpful, too. I mean, Ebony did," Charlie suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

George looked around the room, squinting.

"Something wrong with your eyes, George?"

"Nah, just looking. For what? I don't know. Just anything to make this place more exciting," he replied. But a swoop of owls flying through the house was enough to satisfy all their excitement levels. 

Ginny walked all the way down the stairs and waited outside for Harry to come out. A few minutes later, Harry emerged with a look on his face that told Ginny he was thinking. He walked past her and almost got hit in the head by a branch of the Whomping Willow.

"Harry!" Ginny called. But just as Harry narrowly missed the first branch, the second one hit him squarely in the face. Ginny dropped her broom and shrunken trunk and rushed over to Harry. With a wave of her wand she wrapped tiny straps around Harry's wrists and dragged him away from the violent tree. Her wand was knocked out of her hand by a small, yet powerful branch of the tree, and she didn't have time to scramble around looking for it.

"Accio broom! Accio trunk!" Ginny cast her spells and her belongings flew over to her and placed themselves at her feet gracefully. Harry's face was bleeding and he had a bruise around his right eye. His glasses were completely smashed, and as Ginny scooped up all the pieces into her pocket, she heard a loud POP coming from somewhere ahead.

"I 'spose we should leave in a moment?" Ivy asked Dumbledore as they made they way to the kitchen.

"Goodness, no! You mustn't leave until you've tried Molly's fabulous cooking," Dumbledore replied with a grin on his face. Ivy chuckled and nodded. But the pair rushed into the drawing room after hearing the boys scream.

"Ruddy owls! Where'd they all come from?" Ron yelled as he clasped his hands over his head and crouched to the floor.

Molly, Ebony, Dumbledore and Ivy ran in from separate doors all shocked to see the house now filled with owls of many colors.

"Just look for one you recognize!" Dumbledore shouted as he scanned the room for any familiar owls.

"Albus, this one 'ere's got a letter for yeh. It's such a pretty one, eh?" Ivy removed the letter from the snowy owl's claws and handed it to Dumbledore. Dumbledore's face lost its color as he read the letter. Ebony grabbed a tawny barn owl and untied the letter from its leg.

"This is my owl! I wonder if Gerald's sent me a letter. It doesn't look like his handwriting though…"

Ebony removed the seal and read her letter. Her face grew tense and her knuckles white as she gripped the letter tightly with both hands. Dumbledore waited for Ebony to finish the letter before he told everyone the news.

"That was from Harry. The Death Eaters have captured Hermione Granger. Harry doesn't know exactly where they are, but he said it reminded him of Knockturn Alley. She is to be executed at midnight on July 31-that is if Voldemort is still alive at that time. But we mustn't trust that instruction for Voldemort could change his mind at any moment. Ivy, you must leave with Ebony now. Hope for the best, of course, and stay together. I need to find the rest of the Order and D.A. and question them about Hermione's disappearance.

"Ebony…is yeh alrigh?" Ivy questioned as she furrowed her brow trying to think what was so mysterious about Ebony's letter.

"My mother…she's been killed. So has Gerald. And now they're coming after me. He knows, Albus: he knows I'm helping. We need to protect Harry and Ginny. Ivy, you're here for the same reason as me, aren't you? He'll be after you next. We have to unite in hope that we won't be found and we can still help Harry before it is too late. Farewell, all. I hope to see you again."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One  
Emotions**

Ginny was startled by whoever had apparated; she squinted around looking for anyone. But she didn't see anyone, and procured the same silver rod that Dumbledore had when he have her the potion at Diagon Alley. She forced it down Harry's throat, and then searched in her pockets for a handkerchief. She didn't find one, but she did find a glass sphere.

"Accio orb!" yelled someone, and the Shadow Orb was pulled from Ginny's hands and went flying through the air. Harry had now regained his strength, and he too squinted around for the caster of the spell.

"Wormtail!" Harry yelled as a small, rat-like man scurried away from them. He was about to get Ginny's Shadow Orb, when he heard Ginny summon it herself.

Harry watched as the orb flew from under Wormtail's grasp and back into Ginny's. He glanced over at her, and then looked on the ground; Ginny's wand was lying on the ground ten feet away from her.

"Ginny! You, you just-"

"Shut up and let's go!" Ginny replied as she levitated her things and grabbed Harry's arm after picking up her wand. Where they were going, Harry didn't know. He just held on tight to Ginny's warm, smooth hand as they ran away from the Whomping Willow.

Ebony and Ivy rounded the corner into Knockturn Alley. All of the shops were closed, and the street was darker and danker than usual. They had checked each shop for any secret passages or dungeons or hidden caves…anywhere that Voldemort and the Death Eaters could be. They had been unsuccessful until they reached Borgin and Burke's.

"We have to get to Knockturn Alley. We'll just have to walk there, or something," Ginny mumbled as she released Harry's hand and sat on the ground hugging her knees.

"So…I guess you had no idea you could do wandless magic until then?" Harry asked quietly as he sat down beside Ginny. Ginny turned to face him and he smiled faintly at her. He never realized how beautiful she was before now. But he knew that she didn't fancy him anymore.

"Well, I thought I would give it a shot. Everything I was feeling at that time; fear, anger, hopelessness, a little courage, and of course the threat of dying surged through me, and I guess it was enough to make me do magic," Ginny replied, and she saw a glow spread over Harry's face. She knew that he was going to tell her something important.

"I felt the same way when I first did it! I was so frightened…not just because of the dementors, but for some reason, I saw Sirius falling, down, down, down…just falling to an endless pit of hopelessness. That's what scared me more than anything else. I hadn't even thought of that again until after he died. And every time I've not used my wand since then, I always think of Sirius and my parents and all the people suffering because of Voldemort. It fuels my soul and it lets me do whatever I want to. When I think about them dying involuntarily, I feel as if I just want to die and be with them…but I know that I have to destroy Voldemort. When I thought about it, it all made sense. Even the magic that's greater and more terrible than death became clearer to me. I had an idea of what it was, and then when they told me, I felt as if I could do anything…even kill Voldemort…"

Ginny checked her watch; it was around five o'clock in the evening. They had to keep moving.

"Harry, we need to go now! You'll have to tell me about the magic on the way…we probably won't get there until the 30th."

"Sure is scary in 'ere…" Ivy muttered as s chill went up and down her spine. They were inside the Dark Arts shop, looking around for any secret passages.

"It's almost 11:00. If we don't find anything here we'll have to find somewhere to sleep," Ebony said absentmindedly while pushing bookcases, and lifting up candles.

Ivy tiptoed over to a withered hand on a bloodstained pillow…she knew the secret of the hand. Ebony would know why. Ivy was so ashamed of herself these days. She didn't know then of course, but now-now she felt as if she had committed a brutal murder and couldn't confess to it. That actually almost happened…he was so good at persuading her to do things. But he knew she didn't love him anymore, and if it hadn't been for Dumbledore, she would have been dead.

Ivy knew that the hand was resting, and as she tiptoed over to it, she heard glass shatter…

"Do you understand now, Ginny?" Harry asked as they were jogging along the side of a country road. Ginny looked over incredulously at Harry. The answer was so simple; she couldn't see how she missed it before.

"Emotions…that's how you're going to defeat Voldemort."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two  
Through the Hole in the Wall**

Ivy and Ebony woke up four days later, sprawled on the floor of Borgin and Burke's. Ebony had no idea what had happened…all she did was lift up a purple pot.

"Ebony, yeh say yeh lifted up that purple pot there? Well, yeh mightn't have known, but that is a Paralyzing Pot. If yeh touch it, it releases a purple smoke that paralyzes yeh and puts yeh to sleep for days…I reckon that we was in here for awhile. Let me check my calendar…" Ivy reached inside her robes and pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper.

"July 30th, 1998. We came in 'ere four days ago! It's almost midnight now! There's on'y twenty-four hours left for Harry to kill You-Know-Who!"

"Ivy, why don't you say his name? You were engaged to him after all…"

Four days had passed since they left the Shrieking Shack, and Harry and Ginny were now walking down Diagon Alley. They were so close to Borgin and Burke's, and now that there was one day left, they were more frightened and nervous than they had ever been in their entire lives.

Ginny knew the secret of the great and terrible magic now; she knew nothing that could make Voldemort scared or embarrassed or ashamed…she had always assumed that Voldemort had no feelings. But she was going to have to try.

"Tell me again how you know that it's in Borgin and Burke's?" Ginny asked Harry as they passed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George had obviously closed the shop for a little while, but customers could still buy through Owl Post.

"I dreamt Wormtail tiptoeing up to that withered hand on the bloody pillow. Unless there's some other Dark Arts shop in Knockturn Alley with an identical withered hand, then it's in Borgin and Burke's,"

Harry's voice was shaky these past few days, Ginny noticed. It was nearing midnight on July 30th as they turned down Knockturn Alley. 

Ivy looked over at Ebony, ashamed. She was waiting for Ebony to bring that up. Ivy looked down at her toes, not wanting to answer. But Ebony was watching her impatiently, so Ivy had to explain everything.

"Ebony, yeh must remember, I was on'y sixteen! He was twenty-two, and I hadn't known he was related to yeh, or that he was to be the Darkest wizard in history! But I thought I had loved him…don't ask me why, I just did. He didn't start up his evilness until a year later. He always asked me why I loved my Muggle parents, and wouldn't it jut be easier to kill them? I replied no each time, mind you, but he insisted on asking. He made me watch him murder a pregnant Muggle woman, and I cried for him to stop. I hated him after that. He had me tied to a chair and put some kind of charm on my eyelids so I wouldn't be able to close them. He was horrible, and every time I tried to escape, he put the Imperius Curse on me. I was able to throw it off eventually, but by that time, he knew I didn't love him. He never loved me; he just wanted someone to help him. But it wasn't going to be me, I made sure 'o that! One night, he beat me with a stick and was about to murder me when Albus came in. I was slipping in and out of consciousness, but Albus said something to him, and then he fled. I was taken to St. Mungo's, and Dumbledore had to put an Unplottable Charm on my parents' home. Eventually he performed the Fidelius Charm. I am their Secret-Keeper, 'o course, but still, I find it hard to sleep at night, knowing that he might be able to find them,"

Ebony felt a deep empathy for Ivy. She had only feared her mother's death for a few moments that night they were hiding in the closet, but it was one of the worst feelings she ever had. Now that her mother and husband had died, she knew how Ivy would feel if her parents had been killed. Ebony forced the tears back, and hugged Ivy for a few seconds. They both pulled away at the same time, and then Ivy resumed tiptoeing towards the withered hand.

"This used to be his. I watched him use this many times…he charmed it to conceal secret areas. All you have to do is tiptoe over to it, then lift up the fourth finger, and a secret passage will open," Ivy explained as she gestured for Ebony to stand back.

Ivy reached the hand, lifted the fourth finger and jumped backwards as the hand turned black and revealed a hole in the wall behind it. They clambered inside, waiting for someone to come either way.

Harry and Ginny entered Borgin and Burke's exactly 12:04 AM. At 12:05 AM, Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott emerged from a hole in the wall behind the withered hand.

"Well, well, well! Thought you'd just waltz down there and attack the Dark Lord, did you, Potter? And what about Ms. Weasel-Hair here? Did she think she'd actually be able to help you? Why, my father killed her father, and now I must kill her. Don't think you're lucky, Potter. Just because we can't kill you doesn't mean you won't die tonight!" Malfoy shrieked, withdrawing his wand.

All of a sudden, a wand pointed at the back of Theodore's head rendered him unconscious. Ebony and Ivy emerged from the hole in the wall, wands pointed at Malfoy.

"You two go! We'll handle this good-for-nothing little…bloody hell!"

Ebony directed them to go into the hole, but Malfoy threw a tiny black ball at her head, which lodged itself into her forehead and made her faint. Ivy commanded them to leave, and as they clambered through the hole, Ginny turned around and saw Ivy club Malfoy in the head with a long silver pole.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three  
Broken Bones  
**  
Hermione woke up. It was midnight on July 30th. She had no idea where she was, but she was extremely uncomfortable. She rubbed her head, which was aching badly, and felt scabs covered in dried blood, and huge bumps. She lay on the cold, hard, dirty floor, looking all around her. There was no door, no window and no stairs: no anything that could lead her to an escape. After reaching in her pocket for her wand and finding that it was not there, she heard voices shouting at one another. Through a miniscule crack in the wall, Hermione could see jets of light in the midst of a dark, dungeon-like room. Moments later someone pressed against the crack in the wall. Hermione could only see scarlet hair.

"Ginny! It's me, Hermione! Help me Ginny!" Hermione whispered frantically as she reached for a strand of the hair. With a swift tug, Hermione ripped out a hair from Ginny's head. Ginny turned around and looked at the wall she was leaning against…

After going through the hole in the wall, Ginny and Harry met up with no less than thirty Death Eaters, all firing curses and hexes at them from the moment their feet emerged from the hole.

"Ginny, just run ahead and hide! I'll come get you in a minute!" Harry exclaimed as he elbowed a Death Eater in the face. Ginny didn't move at first, until an enormous cloaked Death Eater came running over to her. She threw a stone at his head and ran as fast as she could. She found a fissure in the wall, which she barely fit into, and slipped in it. She leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths, when she felt a hair being plucked out of her head.

"Ginny! I'm sorry; I had to get your attention! I'm locked in here, and I don't have my wand! Help me please!"

Ginny recognized Hermione's voice, and her heart leapt. Hermione was still alive! They hadn't failed her! Checking that no one was coming, Ginny took out her wand.

After trying every spell she could think of to open the wall, Ginny resorted to the Shadow Orb.  
"I need this wall to open. We need to free Hermione and get her out of this place!"

In a few seconds, the wall began to dissolve, and Hermione was visible. Ginny ran into the room where Hermione was, and threw her arms around Hermione's neck. Hermione was sobbing loudly, but managed to exclaim her appreciation.

"Thank you so much! But I don't know where I am. The last thing I remember, I was dueling Pansy Parkinson, and then I woke up and I was in here. What-"

"Hermione, you'll have to get someone else to explain! I don't have time and you have to get going. Try apparating, first, but I doubt it will work," Ginny interrupted hastily. She shoved the Shadow Orb back into her robes, and looked around the corner to make sure no one was coming.

Ginny tapped the walls; her hand bounced off.

"It's no use; you can't apparate or disapparate in here. We'll have to get you out somehow," Ginny cursed and kicked the wall. Her foot bounced off, and she landed flat on her back.

Hermione helped her up, and smiled weakly. She knew that Ginny was just a bundle of nerves right now, so she tried to stay on her good side.

"Ginny, don't worry about me; I'll be fine. I'll find some way out of-"

"Why, if it isn't the Mud-blood and a Weasley! I enjoyed killing your father, and I plan to enjoy killing you." Lucius Malfoy's eyes glinted malevolently as he peeked inside the crevice and saw Hermione and Ginny.

"Expelliarmus!" he yelled, and Ginny's wand flew from her hand. Ginny ushered Hermione aside, and gritted her teeth.

"ACCIO WAND!" Ginny screamed, her right arm extended, palm open. The wand flew into her hand with such grace, that it seemed to have missed its master. Ginny clenched the wand tightly, her arm trembling, and she tried to think of a curse to use. But apparently, she didn't think fast enough because Lucius Malfoy started running.

"Get him, Ginny!" Hermione shrieked as Ginny darted off after him. Hermione was still intrigued by Ginny's show of wandless magic…she had never seen anything like it before! She now knew how much Ginny had been underestimated in the past, but none of had known her true powers. Hermione cantered towards the small exit, and before she could poke her head outside, she heard a loud cracking noise and a yelp of pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Someone help me!"  
Hermione ran as fast as she could to where she estimated the screaming to have come from, and what she saw wasn't a pretty sight.

Ginny was lying on the floor in a bloody mess. She looked like a crumpled up piece of parchment covered in red ink, and Hermione knew that Lucius had used the Bone Severing Hex on her…every bone in Ginny's body was broken.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four  
And So It Begins  
**  
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Hermione yelled at the top of her lungs, jumping on Lucius Malfoy's back and knocking him to the ground. She grabbed his head and bashed it on the hard, stone floor. She couldn't help Ginny; if she picked her up, she would be in too much pain. Only Harry knew the counter for the Bone Severing Hex, and he was too busy fighting about ten Death Eaters.

Hermione was covered with Malfoy's blood. She had to get a grip on herself or she would become a murderer, just like him.

Someone grabbed Hermione, who was now sobbing, and led her away from Lucius and Ginny. He handed Hermione her wand, and a broomstick, and led her into the room where she was locked in.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped between sobs. Harry's face was badly gnashed, and his robes bloody. He used his wand to separate the bricks covering the walls.

"Herm, you have to fly out of here. Go back to Grimmauld Place; tell them that Ebony is badly injured; I'll help Ginny. We need someone to handle the Death Eaters here. I'm sure that Ebony won't be the only one injured by the time they come to help. But Ivy will stay here until someone comes to help, so don't worry about her. You need to go now, Mione," Harry explained quickly as he adjusted the broomstick to fit Hermione.

"But, Harry! I hate flying! I, I'm scared!"

"Mione, you have to go! You're our last hope. Please!"

Harry looked at Hermione, and she could see the fear hidden behind his brave eyes. He was more frightened than she was. She nodded swiftly and mounted the broom. Letting out another quick sob, and wiping her eyes, she kissed Harry on the cheek and flew out into the darkness.

"My Lord…It's Malfoy. He's been badly injured. We need the others to come and help us, my Lord! We need-"

"SHUT UP AVERY! I decide what you need and what you don't need. Bring Malfoy and the Weasley girl to me. I'm sure that little Mud-blood bitch has escaped already. Potter wants to duel, obviously, and so he will get his wish. I understand that Draco and Theodore are battling the Mud-blood Bellum: bring her to me. I also need you to find my disgrace of a half-sister; she will die tonight also.

Ginny was lying on the stone-cold ground. Her body was just a pile of bones covered in muscle and flesh. She was bleeding everywhere and no one would help her. Hermione couldn't do anything without her wand, she knew, and Harry was battling the Death Eaters, of course…she wasn't making any sense. No one could help her. She had to just lay here and die, for she knew that would be her fate anyway…

"Skelamendo!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at Ginny. Suddenly, Ginny felt as if she were a jigsaw puzzle being put back together. Her body was cooling down, and the blood was vanishing from her skin. She was about to pass out, when Harry picked her up and carried her down many stairs.

Ginny was dozing off when she saw an older woman screaming behind them.

"NOOOOOO! Harry, don't go down there! He's waiting!" Ivy panted as she chased Harry and Ginny down the long, dank, corridor. Harry turned around to see Avery chasing Ivy, while Draco had bound his father and Nott together, and was levitating them in the air.

Just as Ivy screamed the last word, she was struck with the Cruciatus Curse, and began writhing around on the floor.

Ginny had completely woken up now and leapt down from Harry's arms. Neither Draco nor Avery had seen her do this, and she used this to her advantage when she crept along the smooth brick wall. Avery was looking around, for her obviously.

"Where's the Weasley girl? Just hand her over, and…well I won't say no one will get hurt, because that would be lying! But maybe you won't suffer as much…swift, painless death is also-"

Ginny couldn't let him talk Harry down. She jumped out of the shadowy corner she was hidden in and hurdled onto Avery's back.

"Gerrof me! Draco, grab her or-BLOODY HELL! SHE BIT ME! THE LITTLE BITCH BIT ME!"

But it wasn't Ginny who had bitten Avery's right arm; it was Ivy.

"You two go on! I'll handle these two…I'm sure someone will be comin' with Eb's body soon enough, but yeh just keep goin'!"

Hesitating for just a moment, Harry and Ginny bound down the rest of the stairs until they came to a small, wooden door.

"You don't think he'd just be in there, do you? I mean, surely it will be difficult, getting to him I mean," Ginny asked, with a hint of anxiousness in her voice.

"I'm not sure…maybe that's what he wants us to think," Harry replied, and he slowly creaked the door open.

"HELP! HELP! HARRY…GINNY…THEY NEED HELP!" Hermione shouted at the top of her lungs as she burst through the door to Number Twelve.

Charlie, Bill, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, George, Ron, Luna, Cho and Dumbledore were seated in the drawing room, and immediately bolted for the front door when they heard Hermione come in.

Hermione was panting heavily, bent over with her hands on her knees. Cho summoned a water pitcher and a glass, and poured some for Hermione. Luna glided the nearest chair behind Hermione so she could just sit down.

"Hermione, what is it? Where are they? How did you get-?" Dumbledore interrupted Ron.

"Let her breath a minute. I'm sure she will tell us everything in a moment."

Hermione gulped down the water gratefully, and Tonks refilled her glass. After finishing the second glass rather quickly, Hermione wiped her mouth on her sleeve and took a deep breath.

"It was in Borgin and Burke's…I'm sure of that because when I was flying out of that dungeon I saw the sign out front. I don't know how I got in there, but I remember a withered hand when Wormtail was carrying me…I don't know how, but when I woke up again, I was in a circular dungeon room with no windows or doors. Ginny was leaning against it though, and she got me out. Then Lucius Malfoy came and started taunting us, and he disarmed Ginny, but she just said, "Accio wand" and it came back to her! Malfoy must've been scared because he ran away. Ginny chased after him, and the next thing I know, I hear what sounding like a thousand sticks being stepped on and broken. Ginny shrieked and when I went to see what happened, Ginny was bloody pile crumpled on the floor."

"The Bone Severing Hex!" Charlie and Bill gasped at the same time. Hermione nodded and Dumbledore motioned for her to continue.

"I started attacking Lucius, and I think I rendered him unconscious. Then Harry came and helped me up, and he gave me my wand and this broom. He opened up the wall for me and told me to fly here and tell you to send help. They could be doing anything by now, though. The battle may have started already."

"Welcome Potter, and I see that Avery was unsuccessful in killing you, Weasley. He'll die soon enough. But I'm sure Severus will be good enough to kill you," Voldemort hissed from some shadowy corner of the oddly shaped dungeon room.

Snape emerged from the corner nearest Harry and Ginny. But he looked so different. His skin was perhaps sallower than before. He freely showed the black Dark Mark burned into his right forearm, and his hair was no longer greasy, but sleek and shiny and almost as long as Dumbledore's.

Snape withdrew his wand and raised it as high as his nose. Harry and Ginny did the same, and when Snape opened his mouth to speak, his voice was even more bone chilling than they had remembered.

"Let it begin."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five  
Pure Blood **

Ginny was about to run at Snape when he had said that, but Harry held out his arm to stop her. 

"You could be walking into a trap. You don't know where he is," Harry whispered out of the corner of his mouth. 'He' of course, was Voldemort. Ginny half-heartedly agreed, and refrained from attacking.

"What's the matter, Potter? Haven't you ever seen a wizard before? I daresay all of the fools you've met who've called themselves wizards are incompetent, and can't do anything significant with their so-called wands. Quite like you," Snape bellowed, his voice flowing like scorching-hot black tea being poured out of a kettle.

"You're right Snape! Harry can't do anything significant with his wand!" Ginny retorted. Harry looked at her, unbelieving that she dared speak. "Harry's best magic is done without-"

Harry covered her mouth, realizing that their abilities to do magic without a wand could be an advantage in this duel.

"Let her speak."

Ginny and Harry turned around and around, their wands raised as high as their faces, in search of Voldemort. Snape obviously found this funny, because he snickered maliciously.

"You two actually think that you can locate the Dark Lord by squinting into the shadows? No. To find the Dark Lord, you must _enter_ the shadows…"

Snape tapped his wand against the wall that Harry and Ginny could not see, and in an instant, an unknown force was pulling them towards Snape and the wall.

"Harry!" Ginny screamed, and Harry grabbed her arms. Strong gusts of wind emerged from the shadowy corners of the room, and their hair was blowing all over their faces. Snape just smiled his wicked smile as they tried to fight against the force. In spite of their efforts, they were sucked into the shadows screaming, and a cruel, high-pitched laughter filled their ears. 

"Fred! George! You two come with me this way!" Ivy shouted as Fred, George, Tonks, Lupin, Ron, Bill, Charlie, Luna, Cho, Hermione, and Dumbledore burst into the dungeons behind the hole in the wall at Borgin and Burke's.

Ivy led the twins down the dark passageway that Harry and Ginny left her at. The bodies of Lucius and Draco Malfoy, Avery, Nott, and numerous Death Eaters were stunned and bound together with invisible ropes. The twins glanced at each other, both thinking that Ivy didn't give off an aura of someone capable of battling numerous dangerous and deadly men.

"I took Ebony and locked 'er behind this wall 'ere," Ivy gestured towards the smooth, gray-brown bricks. She tapped them with her wand, revealing unconscious Ebony lying on a blanket in the middle of a tiny, circular room quite like the one Hermione had described.

"I need yeh ter stand watch here. I'm sure that is much more o' them comin soon, and no one needs ter know that Ebony's in there. If yeh hear anything, then send up green sparks with yer wands, and I'll come and help yeh out. Just stay put, please! It'll all be over soon, no matter what happens." 

"Ginny! Ginny! Where are you?" Harry yelled frantically, searching through the piles of leaves. They had been sucked into the shadows, and transported here, outside of an old cottage. It was pitch black, and almost two o'clock in the morning. Harry had landed safely, but Ginny and Snape were nowhere to be seen. For some reason, that thought didn't comfort Harry. (I'm being _sarcastic_…) 

Harry lit the tip of his wand, and held it out in front of him. He walked up to the front door of the cottage, and after pushing back numerous leaves and vines, revealed an address plate. 

'Godric's Hollow'

Harry was taken aback, and almost stumbled down the small hill of grass in front of the house. Suddenly, memories flooded into his brain that were not his own… 

Two men, one short and the other tall and thin, were making their way through many trees, searching for something. They were both hooded, and Harry could not see their faces. Their identities were unknown to Harry at this point, but when the first man spoke, he recognized them.

"My Lord, it is through these woods. Just a bit further, My Lord! I can almost hear them screaming! James won't give up easily, My Lord! Nor will Lily; they're both brave fools. But in the end you will be victorious, and all of the Muggle-loving idiots trying to protect them will be sorry for their foolishness! I suppose you'll be killing them next, My Lord? Especially Dumbledore-"

"Stop your babbling, Wormtail! You will give me away with all of your unremitting chatter. I have no doubt that Evans will try and protect the little brat; after all, she is a descendent of Gryffindor, part of a long line of courageous fools. Ah, we've arrived, I suppose? Yes, there's the address plate. Godric's Hollow: how secretive! And all along I thought Dumbledore was clever! At least Slytherin's home is well-hidden…"

Harry collapsed on the ground, and he rolled down the little hill, hitting someone's legs. Fresh wounds were opened on Harry's arms and face, and Harry looked up at the person who he bumped into. Through the blood flowing into his eyes, stinging, he could make out long hair.

The person took a knife out of their robes and raised it to Harry's face, slashing him, then cutting him again, across his stomach. Just as they were about to cut one of his thighs, they flew backwards about ten yards and began bashing their face against a rock.

Ginny stood over Harry, dabbing his wounds with her robes, then looked over Harry's shoulder to make sure Snape continued to beat himself, almost into unconsciousness. Harry's blood gushed onto the grass and Ginny tried her best to prevent the bleeding. Trying to remember what the wound-closing charm was, Ginny was lifted in the air, and thrown backwards. Harry stood up on his wobbly legs to see who did it.

"Well, well, Potter! I see that you are more hideous now than you were before! No matter: the Dark Lord doesn't judge on how pretty you are, he judges on how clean your blood is. And from the looks of it, your blood isn't very clean in either sense!" Snape laughed hollowly, remarking on Harry's dirt-covered wounds, and his Muggle-born mother.

Harry spoke not a word, but lifted Ginny off the ground, and placed her upright. She too was bleeding freely, and her robes and skin were torn in various places. Harry and Ginny raised their wands, not knowing what curse to use. Having no intention of breaking any laws right now, the Unforgivable Curses were out of the question. Not thinking quickly enough, Snape struck.

"Crucio!" Ginny began writhing on the damp grass, and her whole body was shaking violently. Harry ran at Snape, knocking him backwards onto the ground. All of a sudden, the little light that illuminated the front of the Hollow was gone, and strong gusts of wind swept over the three fighting souls. A cloaked figure emerged from the house, and Harry's scar burst open, leaking blood everywhere. Ginny jumped up, (her torture ended) and tried to grab Harry and pull him to safety.

"I don't think so!" Snape yelled, finally recovering from being tackled by Harry. He muttered an incantation under his breath, "Reversiflesh," and Ginny's palms began to bleed. Then her knees bled out, and then her head, when finally Ginny was covered in blood. She felt like she was being turned inside out…and she was.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six  
Deadly Desire**

"GINNY!" Harry screamed as he tried to think of some way to put Ginny back to the way she was supposed to be. Harry's mind was racing, and the amount of blood he was losing was too much for him to keep standing. He collapsed to the ground next to Ginny…

"IVY! IVY! WHERE ARE YOU?" Ebony screamed from inside her little circular room. Fred and George heard her frightened call and let her out.

"Where's Ivy? We need to help Harry and Ginny! Voldemort is with them! And Snape too!" Ebony protested. The twins decided to send up green sparks to get Ivy's attention.

Ivy apparated to their side at the sight of the green sparks. Ebony told her that they needed to help Ginny and Harry, and Ivy agreed.

"They can handle whoever comes. Yeh got yer wand?" Ivy asked, and Ebony lifted her wand to show Ivy. In a loud CRACK, they were gone

"Oh no…_Reversiflesh_…and Harry's unconscious…Ivy help me!" Ebony directed as they landed at the Hollow, and she saw Ginny lying inside out on the ground. Snape and Voldemort weren't in sight.

"Oh, what the hell is the counter for Reversiflesh? I can't remember! Oh! I'll just use the cancellation charm!" Ebony thought quickly as she pointed her wand to Ginny.

"Nullifincantatem!" Ebony whispered, and Ginny moved in reverse, in slow motion, like a replay when using Omnioculars. Her skin turned back the right way, and her body was reassembled right in front of Ivy's and Ebony's eyes, each of them shuddering in disgust. Ebony then revived Harry, and they all just stood still for a few moments, glancing at each other.

"Where are Snape and Voldemort? Did they go inside the house?" Harry asked, finally breaking the piercing silence.

"Harry, I wish I could tell yeh no, and I wish I couldn't tell yeh yes, but I just don' know. When me and Ebony got here, yous was the on'y ones here, all battered and bloody. But we just don' know," Ivy explained quietly, careful not to raise her voice above a whisper, in fear of Snape and Voldemort hearing her. They all simultaneously peered over at the house through the mild darkness. The sun would be rising soon, they knew, which meant even less time for Harry to kill Voldemort.

Ebony and Ivy led Harry and Ginny around to the back of the Hollow, where they would break into the basement and sneak up to the attic where they would wait for Snape and Voldemort (if they didn't encounter them on the way up of course).

Ginny peered around her, squinting through the darkness. This place seemed quite familiar to her. Though she was sure she had never been here before. Just as Ginny was pondering her familiarity with the Hollow, Ivy yelled for them all to duck as about twenty Death Eaters came running at them.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" Ginny yelled repeatedly at the numerous Death Eaters who were most likely trying to capture her, and kill her. But she had locked them all to themselves, and as Ivy, Harry, and Ebony rounded up their own victims, Ginny decided t go ahead and explore.

The leaves crunched beneath her feet as she walked slowly and silently through the early summer morning. The Hollow was beautiful, indeed, but her current situation made everything seem uglier than it would usually be.

"STUPEFY!" someone yelled at her, and she narrowly dodged the stunning curse and jumped into a shrub. Opening new cuts on her legs and arms, Ginny panted, waiting for her attacker to show himself. She heard their footsteps, but she didn't want to reveal herself to early in fear of being stunned and captured.

"I can hear you breathing in that shrub!" the person exclaimed as they neared even closer to Ginny. She decided that she had to protect herself…

"PROTEGO!"

Ginny jumped up and ran, realizing that it was Snape who had found her. She ran as fast as she could, but she wasn't fast enough…

"I've got you!" Snape grabbed a handful of Ginny's hair and pulled her to the ground. The sun had completely risen now, and the bright rays of morning sunlight shone on Snape and Ginny, both of them bleeding furiously.

"You're little boyfriend injured my side badly. But I know that once he is dead, the Dark Lord will reward me, and I will be fully healed. He used the Splintering Knives Curse, clever little-"

Ginny jumped to her feet and knocked Snape backward from the force of her recovery. She drew her wand, trying to think of a curse that would suffice in this situation. But she didn't have to think, because Ebony, Ivy and Harry burst in front of her and Snape, and began rapidly firing curses and hexes at him.

Ginny took this time to catch her breath, but she found it quite hard to breathe when someone covered her mouth from behind. Ginny was struggling to break free from this person, who now carried her towards the house. She kicked and bit and elbowed, but then realized the person must have used the Skin Toughening Charm on himself. Ginny's muffled screams were doing nothing except wasting her precious little breath and creating even more heat than what already filled the air.

Ginny was carried up the stairs, to the second floor, where she was taken into a dark, curtained bedroom and laid on the bed. The person sealed the door and windows, and disappeared into the floor. Ginny had no idea who it had been, and she wasn't going to strain herself to find out. She needed to get back to Harry and help him find Voldemort. All of the curses and spells she shot at the walls and floor and ceiling bounced off, and began breaking numerous objects in the room. Just as the mirror behind her shattered and, and shards of glass implanted themselves into her skin, someone entered the room quietly.

Ginny flattened herself onto the floor, blood trickling down her back from her neck, and waited for the person to come closer to her.

"Ginny! Ginny!" the person hissed, as if trying not to attract any attention.

"Harry? Is that you?"

"Yes! Come here! I've got an idea of where he is…"

Ginny hesitantly gathered herself up from the ground and took the outstretched hand in front of her. Harry's hands were so smooth and warm, that she crept up even closer to him, wanting to wrap her arms around his neck. But Ginny suddenly stopped as Harry turned to her and then collapsed onto the floor.

"It may not have killed him, but he'll be out of my way for a while," Voldemort's cold voice penetrated the room, but Ginny couldn't see him.

She glanced down to where Harry's possessed body collapsed. A snake was now slithering over Harry's back and coming closer to Ginny's legs. She backed up as far as she could, into the wall, but when she pressed her back flat against the door, the snake bit her in the ankle. Ginny's body turned warm, and a dazed sensation swept over her as she became light-headed and lethargic. She wanted to sleep…to die…


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven  
The Plans Revealed**

Harry looked up at the ceiling, so shockingly bright and white. He didn't know where he was, or how long he'd been there, but he had to find out. Where was Ginny? The last thing he remembered was seeing Voldemort standing in front of the trap door leading to the basement, but nothing after that. Ginny was probably in danger at this very moment, if she wasn't already…No. She was alive and she would be fighting; Ginny was feisty when it came to life-threatening situations.

"I have to find her…I can't do this without Ginny!" Harry whispered resentfully to himself, as he searched for his way out of this room. It looked like a bedroom with white walls and a white ceiling. 

"This could've been my parents' bedroom…" Harry thought to himself as he looked at photographs of his parents on the walls, and even one of himself, roughly seventeen years ago.

He unsealed all of the windows and the door leading into the hallway. As he crept along the wall towards the door, he stepped over a long, scaly snakeskin, along with a small puddle of blood, so scarlet and yet translucent. Harry could've spent hours staring at this mystifying blood, but thought better of it and hurried into the hall. 

He skidded to a halt as he jogged along the carpeted hallway, when he saw two bloody footprints leading into the back room. Strange, though it would have been for any Muggle to witness these footprints, Harry knew that someone who had stepped in blood apparently apparated to this spot and walked into the back room.

Harry cautiously touched the doorknob, as though it would electrocute him if he grabbed it too soon or if his grip was too tight, and turned it. He was now standing in front of another bedroom, his own bedroom. Right on the left side of the room was a wooden crib, complete with green sheets and a quilt with all of the Quidditch balls on it. Harry stood in amazement at the sight of his room where he had lain seventeen or so years ago, and slept and cried. He edged in a little closer, and stood now in the middle of the room, staring around in awe. But just as the warm sensation crept through his body that he got whenever he thought about his parents, he found a red-haired girl, crumpled on the floor, bleeding freely onto the pale blue carpet.

Ginny awoke behind a wooden crib with Harry standing over her. But what is it Harry? Back in that other room it wasn't really Harry…It was Harry possessed by Voldemort. So was this really Harry? She had no way to find out.

Ginny clutched her ankle, which that dreadful snake had bitten and almost made her commit suicide. She had attempted to jump out of the window, but then she remembered that they were magically sealed. So she apparated into the hall in front of this very room, and was going to smother herself with the Quidditch quilt in the crib. But her loss of blood made her collapse and fall in and out of consciousness.

"Ginny! Let me help you!" Harry frantically whispered as he touched her ankle with his wand, making the wound heal, and leaving Ginny feel refreshed.  
"Harry, is that really you?" Ginny asked, still quite dazed from her bite.

"Who else would it be?"

'He has no idea,' she thought as she let Harry pull her up from the ground, and rushed out of the room.

"Harry, where are Ebony and Ivy?" Ginny asked as they ran up the stairs leading to the attic. She was still a little dizzy, but was trying hard to concentrate on where she was going.

"I don't know. I went straight to the room you were in, and I didn't see them at all. But something else I've been wondering is why would Voldemort and Snape go through all of this trouble to return the house to the state it was in minutes before he arrived and murdered my parents? Dumbledore reckons they'd been doing it since last year."

"Dunno," Ginny replied quietly.

Harry didn't really listen to her reply, though, because he reached the door to the attic. He stood staring at it for a few moments, before asking Ginny the time.

"It's five after noon. Are you ready?"

Harry nodded and gulped, as he reached for the knob…

"Severus, make sure they don't get loose. Are you sure you tied them down tightly?"

"Yes, of course, Master. I will check again, just in case," Snape's voice filled the attic. The attic, however, looked nothing like an attic. It was more like an outside dungeon courtroom, with dirt floors and various dead shrubs, stone walls and caged windows, and high rows of seats, like those in the Ministry of Magic Courtrooms.

"You know, Severus, I've been waiting for this moment my whole life, to become immortal by killing my enemy of many generations. Thankfully, Dumbledore has no idea of the consequences of my victory. Not only will little Harry be dead, but I will have an eternity to kill all of the Mud-bloods, Muggles, and all those in leagues with them," Voldemort echoed throughout this strange location above Godric's Hollow. Snape snickered gleefully as he disappeared into the darkness somewhere.

Small shrieks emitted from where Snape had left, and as he returned he replied, "Shall we kill them now, or in the presence of Potter? I daresay that those two old witches mean nothing to him."

Voldemort seemed to ponder that for a moment, but then replied, "We shall finish them after the Weasley, but before Potter, just to show him that I have no problem killing my own sister, and my ex-fiancé."


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight  
Effects of Affection**

"How nice it is to see you again, Potter! I don't believe you realized that I possessed you earlier, did you? Oh, how disappointed I am. I wish you would've tried to fight back, so then I could just kill you then. But, that's to be expected with weak-minded, fragile people. After all, look who your parents are! Or, were, I suppose would be a better word. And I take full credit for that!" Voldemort shrieked as Snape tied Harry to a pole in the center of the room, and placed Ginny in a chair with arm and leg restraints.

After the metal cuffs were firmly clasped to the chair, eliminating any movement from Ginny, Snape strode over to the high, black velvet-backed armchair Voldemort was seated comfortably in, and whispered something in his ear. Voldemort cackled loudly and gestured for him to go ahead. Snape withdrew a long, sharp, silver dagger from within his robes somewhere, and caressed the blade gently with a long, sallow finger.

Harry and Ginny both thought that his skin resembled stretched wax, and his finger looked like an old candle, stroking that shiny stiletto.

Ginny thought of how good everyone had been to her, and she silently thanked them in her heart for all they had done fore her. What a great adventure this had been for her, but now it, and her very existence, would end. Just as Snape drew closer to her with that blade, her heart beat faster and faster, wishing that she could be somewhere else right now…

That was it! The Shadow Orb! But how to get it…She could do magic without a wand! Oh, how stupid she had been to just sit here the whole time and let Voldemort taunt them for a half hour. Their problems were solved (for now)!

Harry glanced at her, knowing that she was concocting an ingenious plan at this very moment. If only his mouth hadn't been sealed shut, he could yell some secret codeword to Ginny to tell her to summon the Shadow Orb and get them untied. But he didn't have to, because that's exactly what she did.

"Bloody hell! Why is that…what is that? And why is it floating before the Blood-traitor? What is she saying to it?" Snape stuttered as Ginny's Shadow Orb levitated in front of her, waiting for her to command it to do something.

"That is a Shadow Orb, Faithful Servant, and I believe she is wishing to be untied, if I am not mistaken. Despite her skill at being an Occlumens, which she only obtained in order to fulfill that prophecy, I am sure that is what she is doing, because that is what you would do, Severus. I know you very well, and if she is to have powers unmatched by only you, than it would be fitting for her to be a sneaky little coward, as are you, Half Blood Prince," Voldemort replied in a dry, dull tone, as if this whole fiasco was boring him to death.

Ginny was unchained from her chair, and Harry untied, and un-gagged.

'Well, we're free all right, but now they know that I can do magic without my wand. I'm sure they'll find a way to use that to their advantage,' Ginny thought to herself as she listened to her deep raspy breath. Searching the room silently with her eyes, she wondered whether Ivy and Ebony knew where they were.

"Well, dear little girl, your secret is out! Though I know already that both of you are capable of wandless magic. It is no secret because it is all in the prophecies. I'm not as obtuse as you may think, you know. If Severus and I are capable of doing wandless magic, then I just assumed you two would be able to also. I have in fact been waiting for the moment when you would reveal that power to us, hoping to catch us by surprise. But you can never surprise the Dark Lord, for he knows everything…"

His last few syllables sent chills up and down both Harry's and Ginny's spines.

'It's only twenty-five minutes before one. I still have time!' Harry thought to himself as he glanced at Ginny's slender, pale wrist, on which a pewter-rimmed watch was loosely fastened. How lonely she looked standing here next to him, no heat protruding from her body: only coldness, and emptiness, as if she was extremely depressed at the moment. If only he could make Voldemort feel this way…

"Harry, when are you going to start to do whatever you're going to do?" Ginny frantically whispered as she swiftly turned her head in the direction of the far corner of this 'attic'. She could have sworn she saw someone run past in that shadowy darkness: someone short and nimble.

"Now," Harry replied as he mustered all of his strength and all of his courage in one long, deep breath. Thoughts of what to say racing through his mind like a cat and mouse chase, he seemed to reach out an imaginary hand in his brain and grabbed one of them.

"You've never cared about anyone, have you Tom? And no one's ever cared about you either. Except for your mother, but she's dead. And Ivy, but all you wanted was to kill her parents, and obviously that didn't satisfy her. Your father hated both you and your mother, and your grandparents were no better. But there was one other person who was trying to care for you: your sister's mother. Yes, she talked to your father many times about adopting you from that orphanage you were sent to. She wanted to give you a chance. But your father's hatred for anything magical prevented her. She loved him after all, but still she didn't give up. Then, when Ebony was born, you know your half-sister? Or did you just stalk her without even knowing her name? Well, when Ebony was born, her mother actually went to the orphanage to get the papers to adopt you. But your father found out and threatened a divorce. The, when Ebony turned out to be magical anyway, they got a divorce. And then Ebony's mother tried even harder to adopt you. But what did you do? You found out your father had another child and killed him and his parents. You started stalking Ebony, and then Ebony's mom believed your father was right about you: That you were a good-for-nothing little beast. At least she actually knew you a little before she came to that conclusion, but your father just assumed you were when he realized what your mother really was. Can you believe that? Two people cared for you, and you drove them both away! You're pretty stupid you know…"

Voldemort stood, mouth wide open, in shock at what Harry had just said. Snape resembled nothing less than a ghost, his pale yellowish skin turning pearly white; beads of sweat were forming on his brow as he tried to think of a comeback to prove that he was faithful to his master.

"How did you know that? How are we to know that you didn't just invent that?" Snape bellowed, voice shaky and unconfident. Yet, Voldemort still stood motionless and speechless, and Harry and Ginny wondered how that just affected him.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine  
Sweet Baby and James**

Harry and Ginny looked at Voldemort's blank expression changing to a mischievous grin in less than four seconds. He cackled loudly, and Snape's sallow skin regained the little color it had before Harry told his story. Voldemort's laughter was so uncontrollable, it seemed as if he'd been put under the Tickling Curse, though Ginny was sure no one had shouted '_Rictusempra_'.

"You-you honestly thought that you could bring my morale down with your little _love_ story? I never have and never will love anyone. I have only faith and respect in people, but never more than that. If that is your plan to defeat me, then I must say go right ahead! Because the only person who would fall for that _touching_ story is a Muggle…and maybe Dumbledore of course," Voldemort babbled on as he struggled to hold back his laughter. Snape looked nervously giddy as he chortled next to Voldemort's chair.

Suddenly Voldemort stopped and a serious and deadly expression took over his face. Voldemort beckoned to Snape, and Snape nodded his head fervently. With a flick of his wand, Snape pulled Ginny over to where he and Voldemort were standing. Harry's face turned white as he watched Ginny being forced on the ground, and Snape sitting on her chest, drawing his knife closer to her face.

"Any last words, little girl? Or Potter, I suppose. It's so sad that you won't get to see me defeat your boyfriend, though Weasley. And you won't get to see that evil always prevails over good in the end. And this is the end for you, of course. Good-bye…" Voldemort echoed throughout the attic and something inside Harry was boiling and about to explode…

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Just kill me now…leave her! She has nothing to do with you! Just-just kill me, and you'll have won, and it will all be over…"

Harry couldn't believe what he was doing. It couldn't all be over yet; but he couldn't let Ginny be audaciously murdered.

Harry took a deep breath as he cantered over to Voldemort and Snape. Snape looked utterly _be_mused, while Voldemort looked extremely _a_mused.

"How bold! How daring! Just like your father. Well, before I kill anyone, I'm going to tell a little story…  
"It was exactly seventeen years ago today, and your parents were preparing for their little son's first birthday. They absolutely adored you, you know. Only the best for ickle Harry! And your godfather was here, and their friend the werewolf, and Dumbledore too, all preparing for your little party they were to have the next day. When all of a sudden, someone knocked on the door. An old friend of theirs, someone they had always trusted since their schooldays. That person was Peter Pettigrew. He looked so scared, and so tired, as if he'd just been running from someone. We practiced so hard for that, as it was extremely important. He told them all that a group of Death Eaters had been chasing him in hopes of finding Harry and bringing him to me. He was so convincing that they became panicked and turned to Dumbledore for help. As you know, measures were taken to ensure that I would not find them. But of course, I knew where they were, because I knew _who_ they were. Your mother was of course Gryffindor's heir, and she would proudly be living in his home. And as you know, he became their Secret-Keeper in the end, blah blah you've heard this all before. Anyway Harry, Pettigrew has been in hiding ever since your fourth year. He's biding his time, preparing for this day exactly, when he will return any moment now, knocking on the door and bringing you horrible news that your death will come sooner than you'd expected a few weeks before now. Ah, I think I hear him now…"

From outside the attic door, someone stood, breathing heavily and knocking on the door. Harry felt as if he was becoming a quadriplegic because he could move neither his arms, nor his legs to try and stop Wormtail's return and his and Ginny's demises.

"Ah, Master, I have returned in full service to you, the Dark Lord and eternal victor of the Final Duel," Pettigrew declared as he waltzed over to the high-backed velvet chair and bowed down to kiss the hem of Voldemort's robes.

A deranged expression formed on Wormtail's face as he looked from Harry to Ginny, who was now collecting herself up from the floor, then a wicked smile penetrated his lips that scared Harry and Ginny half to death.

"Well, well, well! Has Miss Weasley here joined in on the fun? I heard of your father's and brother's deaths, and I must say I am so surprised to learn that they hadn't died sooner!"

Ginny felt tears forming behind her eyes: tears of anger and rage and hatred for this defector of all mankind.

"I HATE YOU!" Ginny let out this blood-curdling scream, but was soon restrained by Harry as she wept and sobbed heavily. Harry tried his best to think of some way to stop all of this madness…

Harry looked over at Ginny's wrist and saw that it was nearly 4 o'clock in the evening. How could he have let all that time pass? He needed to do something soon, because the future of the world was all up to him.

"Let the fun begin!" Voldemort declared, and curses went flying back and forth. Harry and Ginny were outnumbered, even though Voldemort didn't move from his chair. He directed the other two, and Ginny and Harry desperately needed help.

All of their spells were useless for Snape and Wormtail (or Voldemort) knew the counters to every curse they could think of. Yet they battled on, exerting themselves with all of the strength they could muster. When suddenly, Harry hit a barrel of something that burst open, sending pink liquid all over the room.

"YOU FOOL! I told you to secure that earlier! It can't be opened now!" Voldemort bellowed as he cursed Snape, "Well don't just stand there! Try to stop it from leaking all over!"

Snape was frantically running around, trying to contain the fluid within a small circumference around the mysterious barrel. Wormtail on the other hand was busy polishing his wand, when Voldemort unleashed harmful energy on him.

"_Crucio_!"

Wormtail was writhing around on the floor as Harry and Ginny stood motionless, watching. Thankful for this short break from battling, Harry and Ginny were each busy devising their own plans to defeat this terrible trio. Harry's voice quavered as he whispered softly into Ginny's ear, "Go sneak along that wall and swirl your fingers in that liquid-y stuff in a counterclockwise motion three times. _Now_!"

Bewildered, Ginny obeyed and pressed her back flatly against the wall enthroned in shadows. Snape was busy performing the near-impossible task of making the pink liquid flow back into the porcelain barrel, and Voldemort was too preoccupied with his torturing of Wormtail to notice her swiftly sliding along the wall. She was moving too quickly through the darkness to notice that there was a pillar intersecting the wall about ten feet ahead, and as she continued her sneaking, she crashed head-on into it. Now dazed and unable to see clearly, Ginny stumbled to the ground, feeling her way towards the pink liquid.

After cutting her hand on a piece of the porcelain barrel, she knew that she was close to the liquid. She crawled along the floor until she knelt in a warm liquid. In fear of blacking out at any moment, she swirled her middle and forefingers in the watery pink concoction, just as Harry had instructed her to. But that the last thing she remembered before passing out…

Harry, in the meantime was busy distracting Snape by casting an irreversible direction spell on the liquid so that it would only flow one way, no matter what Snape did to it. But by the time Ginny had swirled the liquid and passed out, Snape had contained the rest of the fluid somehow and Harry had to run over to Ginny so that when they landed they would be together.

The same sensation that came when traveling by portkey came as Harry lifted Ginny up; it seemed as if a hook were inserted just behind his navel and he becoming from the spinning feeling.

When Harry had finally come to, he realized that this particular mixture of Time Liquid had taken them back to the night of his parents' death. Why? He had no idea, but for now he had to concentrate on finding out exactly how his parents had died. But where was Ginny? He had been holding her when they changed dimensions of time, but now she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, without warning, Harry began to walk towards the front door of Godric's Hollow.

"Why, it's mighty chilly outside!" he involuntarily exclaimed as he performed the Thermal Blanket Charm on himself to warm up. Harry had no idea what he was doing; why was he talking to himself in such a strange manner and why was he now walking in the direction opposite to that of which he actually wanted to go?

"I do hope Lily is alright. Remus said she sounded mighty upset this afternoon when I came back," Harry said unwillingly, this time mentioning his dead mother.

"James Potter! Where on earth have you been? I was so worried, and Harry's been fussy all afternoon. In the fireplace Remus said that you'd _gone out_?" Ginny emerged from the house, fuming and wearing expressions that reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley's when she was angry with her children or…

Harry definitely could think for himself in this strange displacement of time, just not act for himself. And Ginny was now acting as Lily, his dead mother, so she too must be able to control her thoughts.

'There must have been some Reenactment Potion mixed with the Time Liquid. But why? Well Voldemort is undoubtedly here, and he killed my parents, and Ginny and I are acting as my parents…this is how he's going to kill me! I have to try and fight this…But Ginny, or Lily, mentioned me, or the baby. Who is portraying young Harry Potter, if the real Harry Potter is me?' Harry thought to himself as he stood there watching Ginny or Lily? place her slender hands on her hips, apparently waiting for some explanation from Harry James.

"Well Dear, I'm so sorry. I was working on a special Halloween treat for you and Harry. Can you forgive me?" Harry made an innocent-looking face, that turned into a charming grin and Ginny giggled as she took him by the arm and led him into the house.

"James, you look so tired. Here, sit down and eat. I made pork chops and sweet potatoes, your favorite!" Ginny exclaimed as she gestured for Harry to sit down at the small wooden table located in the far corner of the quaint kitchen.

"Well, I guess I couldn't impose, Dear!" and Harry sat down on a rickety wooden chair and began to eat the cooling meal.

"So when will Harry and I be able to see this special Halloween treat?" Ginny asked as she began to sweep the kitchen floor with just a wave of her wand.

"Right now. You just go get Harry and bring him in here, while I get ready."

Ginny nodded and smiled as she ascended the wooden staircase to go and retrieve the baby, whoever it was. Harry made sure Ginny was out of sight before leaning out of the kitchen window and sending yellow sparks into the air with his wand. 

Someone emerged from the bushes: Wormtail. Harry began waving him over to the house, but even after Wormtail approached the window as the sun was quickly setting; someone was still rustling in the bushes.

'What am I doing? He's the one who gave them away! How could he possibly help with this Halloween surprise, whatever it is? And Voldemort was in the bushes all along, and my father never noticed…I have to break out of this!'

But as Harry was whispering to Wormtail, Ginny was softly humming a lullaby as she approached Harry's bedroom. Ginny now realized what was going on also, and she was afraid to see who would be acting as Baby Harry, sitting innocently on the cot. Ginny swung the door open only to find, _no one_.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty  
An Unforgivable Lesson**

Ginny searched and searched the crib, but could find no child. Ginny knew that Harry in fact was not in the crib that night; he was on a cot. But there was no cot either. Ginny continued to rush around looking for baby Harry, when all of a sudden, she screamed, "James! Harry's not up here!"

Harry came dashing up the stairs and burst into his old bedroom that he scarcely remembered. He too searched and searched, but no child was found.

"Where could he be, James? He was up here only a few minutes ago, before you came home!" Ginny cried, almost in hysterics at this point.

(And that was exactly what had happened that night that the Potters died. Up until that point exactly, Harry and Ginny had been reenacting the scene perfectly. But something had gone wrong after that. Two people were forgotten about in that attic, and they were the ones who cancelled out the forced reenactment, because what they did made the reenactment completely impossible.)

Just as Ginny and Harry turned to where the small cot should've been, upon which should've sat whoever was to portray young Harry Potter, they saw nothing, and the reenactment was over.

"There should be a cot here. I sat on that cot there. And my mum should've stopped panicking, and my dad should've went back downstairs to discover Pettigrew gone, and Voldemort should've knocked on the door, and then…" Harry thought, but since he could now speak and act freely, Ginny heard every word he just said.

"Harry! We can talk now! Something must've happened…someone moved the cot…" Ginny hypothesized.

Harry walked around for a few seconds until he heard someone approaching the front door.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other with equally terrified expressions. They both knew that it was time…time for their deaths.

"Harry, what do we do? We can't just let him kill us! He must be able to act freely now too, so he doesn't need a reason to kill us. He'll kill us whether it's a reenactment or not, and you know it Harry! You can't go down answer the door when he knocks," Ginny pleaded, but Harry shook his head.

"Do you think that just because I don't answer the door, he'll give up and go away? He'll be even angrier Ginny! I can't let him be angry. Whoever moved that cot had to be able to move freely the whole time. So they didn't have a role to play in the reenactment in the first place. Who else was in that attic…?" Harry trailed off.

"EBONY! IVY! GET OUT HERE NOW!" Harry screamed, looking in all directions for somewhere they could be hiding.

All of a sudden, Ebony and Ivy appeared in the corner of the room, pulling off of them an invisibility cloak; Ginny's invisibility cloak.

"Where is the cot? Who is the baby? Quickly!" Harry whispered frantically, for Voldemort had just knocked on the door.

"Well, erm, the cot is in that bedroom down the hall, and the baby is…the baby is Severus Snape," Ebony explained with a disgusted look on her face.

Ginny ran down the hall to retrieve the cot and Harry ran downstairs to answer the door. Just before he did though, he had to give Ebony and Ivy an assignment.

"You two have to use that invisibility cloak to follow me downstairs. You have to go capture Pettigrew. He should be somewhere nearby. When you find him, make sure he can't transform into a rat. Use the anti-Animagi spell on him. Bring him back here. NOW!" Harry shouted and Ebony and Ivy covered themselves with the cloak and prepared to follow Harry.

Harry took two stairs in one step, moving as quickly as possible. He needed to think quickly because Voldemort would attempt to kill him as soon as he opened the door.

Harry's heart was racing as he placed his hand on the door handle and turned it, then pulled it to reveal _no one_.

Although he was tempted to stick his head out and look for Voldemort, he didn't and took a deep breath, letting it penetrate his lungs. But that breath was not nearly satisfying enough. He could hardly breathe. He needed air desperately…he could hardly stand up.

Harry was then on all fours gasping for breath. 'What the hell is going on? Where is he? I need to kill him now…I can't die…'

Harry blanked out.

James Potter rushed downstairs to answer the door. He turned the handle and pulled the knob. Just as he stood there facing the most terrible wizard of all time, James looked over his shoulder and saw his wife standing at the top of the stairs.

"Lily! Take Harry and run!" James shouted; his last words full of fear, yet at the same time compassion for his son and wife's safety.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

James fell to the floor, lifeless in a flash of green light. Voldemort stepped over his body and walked up the stairs.

Lily Potter dashed up the stairs and back into Harry's bedroom. Harry was sitting up on the cot, and she sealed the door magically. Holding her son in her arms, she heard him outside the door.

"Woman! Don't make me kill you! Just give me the boy!"

"NO!" Lily shouted and clung onto her son harder than before.

Voldemort burst into the room and laughed. Lily Potter was now guarding her little son with her life. She was trembling, but she kept standing there with her outstretched arms blocking her son from view.

"You silly girl, get out of my way!"

"NO! HARRYYYY…"

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

Lily Potter fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, just as her husband had. And Voldemort turned to the innocent child and laughed once more.

"It's all your fault, little Harry Potter. If you weren't born, you parents wouldn't be dead. Oh well, it's your turn to fall down like Mummy and Daddy! _Avada Kedavra_!"

A blinding flash of green light was emitted from Voldemort's wand, and someone fell to the floor. But then Harry Potter woke up, seventeen years old and ready to kill.

Ginny pushed the cot down the steps, waking Snape up. He crashed to floor, underneath the cot, cursing that he might've broken his leg.

Ginny jumped over the cot and picked Harry up. She had seen him collapse just a few seconds before. She peered out the window and so no one coming up the path. She had heard the knock on the door as clear as Harry had back in the bedroom, but why wasn't he here?

"Harry! Harry wake up!" Ginny pleaded as she held Harry's head in her lap.

Harry opened his eyes, and stood up, pulling himself free of Ginny's warm grasp. His face was without expression, and he clenched his wand tightly in his right hand.

"WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU AFRAID OF ME? IS THE DARK LORD AFRAID OF ME?" Harry screamed as he stepped outside of the house, pacing up and down the walkway.

"COME OUT, _DARK LORD_! COME OUT AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!"

"Harry! What are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed!" Ginny whispered frantically s she looked over her shoulder to make sure Snape was still immobile.

But Harry ignored her. His eyes became cold and he scowled as he saw Ebony and Ivy rush up the path with Pettigrew attached to Ivy's wand.

"Get the scum over here," Harry snarled and Ivy released the rat-like man.

"Well, well, well. You seem to be a tad braver than you were the first time I met you. Not so afraid of your _master_ now are you?" Harry whispered in a deadly voice.

"If you haven't forgotten, something else happened the first time I met you. I spared your life. Now I realize that was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made. But I can avenge that mistake now," Harry continued in the same terrifying voice. Ebony and Ivy looked as frightened as Ginny was, still standing in the doorway, almost crying.

"P-p-please! I'm in your debt! I can, I can help you! Whatever you want! You wouldn't kill me if I still had some purpose!" Pettigrew squeaked.

"Then bring him to me. Bring your Master to me. NOW!" Harry bellowed, "And if you aren't back in one minutes, I will kill you myself. GO!"

Harry stood there with a scowl on his face. Ginny as so terrified, she didn't even notice Snape slipping away.

"_Stupefy_!" Ebony yelled as she pointed her wand at Snape. She pushed him into a small cupboard underneath the stairs, and locked it.

"He's another one. Ginny, kill him," Harry commanded without turning to face her.

"H-Harry, what's gotten into you? Why are you acting like this?" Ginny inquired, her voice quavering in fear. She saw out of the corner of her eye: Ivy praying.

"The anger that I should've had all along. I'm going to kill him. I'll kill him I swear. I'll do whatever I have to. _Avada Kedavra_, if I need it.

Just then, Wormtail came running up the path. Out of breath, he approached Harry and knelt on the floor.

"He'll be here in a few moments. I told him that you passed out, and that S-Snape had killed her," Wormtail finished, pointing towards Ginny.

"Now what am I to do! I haven't passed out. What do I do, lie on the floor and wait for him to come and the take his legs out?" Harry questioned, slightly calmer.

"You-you could hide somewhere. I-I could meet him at the door, and you could get the first attack. P-please, let me live a little longer!" Wormtail suggested, now begging for his life once more.

"Ginny, get into the cupboard with Snape. Ebony and Ivy, wait upstairs. When one of us is dead, then take Ginny and get out of here. GO!" Harry ordered.

He hurried into the house behind them all. Standing behind a tall rubber plant in the far corner of the house, he kept a close eye on Wormtail who was cautiously looking around.

Just then, Voldemort knocked again. Wormtail opened the door, and in a flash of green light, he was dead. Voldemort looked bewildered as he looked down at his servant's corpse. Obviously he had expected Harry to be standing there.

"_Crucio_!"

Voldemort fell to the floor and his limbs twitched a bit, but Harry's curse had done nothing more than startle him.

"Well, I see you haven't used many Unforgivable Curses in your lifetime, have you Potter? Allow me to demonstrate how it's really done…"

"_Imperio_!" Voldemort shouted, and Harry was forced to walk into the kitchen and remove a knife from the silverware chest.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One  
Blood and Tears**

Harry was forced to return to where Voldemort was, laughing viciously, and inside his head, there was a different battle going on than the one between him and Voldemort.

'That's it, take the knife and plunge it into your heart. Just do it!'  
'Why should I? Then I would probably die. And he would win, because he's making me do this. Nope, I won't do it.'  
'You will! And you will do it NOW!'  
'Will I? I don't think I want to do that. Sorry…'

Harry instead took the knife and plunged it into Voldemort's heart. Suddenly, the knife turned red, not from Voldemort's blood, but from some outside force. The knife became hot to the touch also, and Harry could hardly hold it any longer. 'But I must! I have to…'

"Arghhh!" Voldemort cried out, falling to the floor. He still wasn't bleeding though, Harry noticed. Just as Harry felt that if he held the knife any longer his hand would burn off, the knife became cool once more, and Voldemort let out one more terrible cry of pain. Voldemort's eyes became scarlet, redder than they were before, and his skin began to wrinkle further, as if his face would crack in any moment.

"POTTERRRR! YOUR BLOOD WIL PROTECT ME: THE BLOOD DRAWN FROM YOU, WHICH GAVE ME THE POWER TO BE REBORN! HAAHAAHAAA…"

With that, Harry pushed the knife even further into Voldemort's chest, and with that, a purplish liquid protruded from his wound. The ground began to quaver beneath Harry's feet, and the purple fluid ran down the knife, down to Harry's arm, and finally drenching the sleeves of his robes. Harry was standing over Voldemort at this time, because he had fallen to the floor, and although Harry was sure Voldemort was dead, he did not remove the stiletto from his enemy, the most terrible wizard in the world, the wizard who murdered his parents, and whose Death Eaters destroyed the families of many.

All of this seemed to play a role in the great anger Harry was feeling as he broke free from the Imperius Curse and killed Voldemort. But there was another emotion that caused him not to let go. Harry began to cry as he remembered the vision of his parent's death. They had died to save him, and he wanted to make sure that this avenged that greatly enough.

"HARRY! HELP ME! HELP M-" Ginny screamed from within the cupboard under the stairs. Now the ground shaking began to get worse, and the wind was so strong that the front door was blown off its hinges. Harry looked over at where Snape and Ginny were dueling, now outside of the cupboard. Ginny had Snape in a headlock, but his wand was pointed at her throat.

"Harry, you must release that knife! Look at your robes!" Ginny hissed as the purple liquid was dripping off Harry's robes onto the lightly polished wooden floorboards.

"H-h-he can't be dead! H-h-he's immortal! H-h-he told me he was immortal! Why, j-just look at his blood!" Snape cried out, terrified.

Harry and Ginny both looked at Voldemort's purple-covered chest. That is what Voldemort's blood must have been, they both realized. Harry never thought of Voldemort's never-ending quest for immortality. What if he wasn't dead? What if he had only passed out?

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Ginny screamed, as she had finally been able to take her wand to Snape. She leapt of the ground and tried to pull Harry's arm with her. There seemed to be some kind of storm brewing outside, and the house was shaking so badly, Ginny thought it would collapse at any moment.

Ivy and Ebony hurried down the stairs, astounded by Harry's position over Voldemort's corpse. One silent tear rolled down Harry's face and fell onto Voldemort's chest. Harry finally pulled the knife from Voldemort and allowed himself to be dragged out of the house by Ebony and Ginny.

Seconds after they were a safe distance from Godric's Hollow, it collapsed, presumably killing Snape with it. Ginny sobbed and threw her arms around Harry's neck, and he held her gently. The house caught fire and Ebony and Ivy began to run, for they knew that the fire would spread.

"What're you two doing? Over here, c'mon now!" Ivy called, but Harry and Ginny did not move. There were smoky figures rising out of that house; not from the fire, because these figures were colored; they at least _were_ human.

The figures floated over towards Ginny and Harry, and settled on the ground in front of them. The figures were familiar to Harry; he was sure he had seen them all before. Harry and Ginny recognized some of them, while others they had never seen in their lives.

But these figures all shared a connection…they all had at least one relation to one another…they were all killed _because of_ Voldemort.

Some of these figures were actually killed by Voldemort himself; some were killed by his Death Eaters; and some were killed by the hand of an innocent witch or wizard who was put under the Imperius Curse by Voldemort or his followers.

Among these shadowy figures were Cedric Diggory, Bertha Jorkins, many old people, Tom Riddle Sr., the Prewitts, Neville Longbottom and his parents, Arthur and Percy Weasley, Sirius Black, and Lily and James Potter.

"M-Mum? Dad?" Harry whispered, afraid that they would disappear if he spoke too loudly. Lily and James smiled down at their son, sixteen years older than when they last saw him.

"Harry! You look so grown up. We knew that you would defeat him. But we have too much catching up to do to talk about that. Sirius told us much about your excellent powers. How about we see that Patronus of yours?" James asked, laughing heartily as he grinned down on his son.

It was not hard for Harry to think of a happy memory because his current situation was quite happy enough for him.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A pearly-white stag erupted from Harry's wand and galloped around the grounds nobly. James looked down proudly at his son, yet a hint of disappointment shadowed his face that he could not have watched Harry grow and develop magically, physically and emotionally.

"Harry, we miss you so much! We love you, and we'll always be proud of you. I hope you know that," Lily Potter confessed, a small smile formed on her lips.

Harry grinned warmly, wishing he could reach out and hug his parents, but they were transparent, and definitely not solid. He glanced over at Ginny who was conversing with her father and brother happily.

"So, you aren't going to say hello to your old godfather?" Sirius boomed as he floated over to Lily, James and Harry.

"Sirius!" Harry shouted with joy, not that he missed his godfather more than his parents, but that he was happy to see the last member of his 'family' join in on the reunion. Even the fire burning behind them could not smolder Harry Potter's happiness.

"I see you have a girlfriend? She's a Weasley, isn't she?" James asked, glancing over at Ginny and smiling slyly.

"Ginny? My-my girlfriend? Nah, she's just the girl who helped me defeat Voldemort and save the world. That's all," Harry replied sarcastically, finally realizing his true feelings for this beautiful red-haired witch.

"So Harry, do you know how we're here?" Lily asked her son, her eyes glowing with satisfaction.

"No, not really. I was hoping you could explain that to me," Harry replied, a little confused once more. However, this feeling was slight compared to his extraordinary happiness and love for the people standing before him.

"Well, allow me to explain that Harry," Sirius suggested. "When you saw that vision of your parents' death, you wanted nothing more than to avenge that. You wanted to kill Voldemort right then. But you had to wait, and that made you even angrier, actually. When he used the Imperius Curse on you, you fought it off because you wanted nothing more than to avenge the ones that he cost you, the ones you loved. No one has ever thrown off an Imperius Curse cast on him by Lord Voldemort himself. But you are such a powerful and emotional wizard, that you were able to do it. But you Harry, you have a good heart, also. I believe Dumbledore has already told you this, but that is what separates you from Voldemort. You care, Harry, and as you watched yourself kill someone, although it was for a good reason, you couldn't help but cry. Your tears, tears of the loving, and tears of the innocent, mixed with the blood of someone who was partially immortal, was so powerful that it could release all of the souls that were cost because of Voldemort, and were later trapped with him. Only when you set him free by his death could we be set free. If he had killed you, then we would never have become what we are now: living memories."

Harry stood there in awe for a few seconds, still trying to realize what Sirius had said.

"So does that mean, you'll be here, forever?" Harry asked, suddenly uplifted at the thought of never losing his parents and his godfather again.

"Harry, I'm afraid not. We will vanish as soon as Voldemort's body is burnt completely, however crude that sounds. When his body is gone, we will leave with it. But we thank you Harry, because we would've never had this opportunity to talk to you. We'll always be with you in your heart," Lily explained.

"No! You can't, I need you!" Harry protested, but James interceded.

"Harry, there is a way for us to never have to leave you. You'll have to figure that out. But it won't ever be complete; we won't be able to live, but rather explore our past with you. But you'll have to be fast, because I feel as if I'm starting to diminish now," James explained as he slightly lost color.

Ginny, Ebony (who had been talking to her husband) and Ivy rushed over to Harry. He needed their help to figure out how he would never have to suffer without some reminiscence of his family.

"Portraits," Ginny said quietly.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two  
Nothing Gold Can Stay**

"What do you mean, 'portraits'?" Harry asked, perplexed.

"I mean, if there were portraits of each of them, then we could talk to them and they would be with us wherever we went if they went from portrait to portrait. But how will be able to paint a portrait of each of these 'living memories'?" Ginny explained, yet she still didn't have everything figured out.

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded from the Hollow. The fire must've been spreading rapidly. They needed more time!

"Ginny, call Hermione on that bracelet. Tell her to get here right now. The house has been returned to its actual state, so the Time Liquid is worn off now. Hurry!" Harry instructed as he looked at his parents and Sirius whose color was draining more steadily.

Ginny obeyed, knowing better than to ignore Harry's orders when he was panicked. It was strange how unfamiliar they were with each other before now. The sky was so dark; Ginny was sure it must've been past midnight. She glanced down at her watch before twisting the snitch on her bracelet. Her watch read three minutes after one o'clock in the morning. Suddenly wondering whether Harry had killed Voldemort in time, she hurried even more to call Hermione.

"Hello? GINNY! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Hermione screamed, almost bursting all their eardrums. In the background, Ginny could hear her mother and brothers whooping and cheering also.

"Yes, of course I'm alive! What d'you think, I'd gone and got myself killed? Don't answer that! Harry and I need you over here right now! Harry's killed Voldemort, and er, the house is on fire, and we need help now. Yes, Godric's Hollow. Well, let's say there are many portraits to be painted. Bye-bye," Ginny explained speedily.

"Hermione, and my family should be over any second…"Ginny reported, but before she could get her last word out, a clan of red-haired people and a brunette appeared by her side.

"HARRY!" they all yelled and jumped on top of him excitedly.

"No time! Ginny, give me the Shadow orb please," Harry replied rather impatiently as he brushed them all off. But the new arrivals didn't seem to mind as their attention was diverted to the shadowy figures of dead people.

'What do we need? Well, we need a portrait of all of these memory people here, and we need the fire to stop somehow so we have enough time, and we need, well, we need Dumbledore,' Harry thought as he gripped the small glass sphere so tightly his hand hurt.

"ARTHUR! PERCY!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she ran over to the shadows of her dead husband and her deceased son.

Harry squinted over at the house. The smoke had greatly reduced. Actually, a mist was rising from the house now. It was raining.

"Not rain! The portraits will be ruined!" Harry protested, almost in tears from all of the frustration.

"Harry, calm down. We'll be fine for now. His body obviously is still somewhat intact, so we'll be here at least until after the rain. You're just like your father; always worrying too much. You don't have to be such a h-" Lily Potter started to stay, but was cut off.

"A hero? Well then, what am I supposed to be? It was in the prophecy! I needed to kill Voldemort to save the world. If that's not forced heroism then…" Harry interrupted, rather irascible to the fact that everyone told him that he didn't always have to 'play the hero'.

"I thought that when we'd died, we wouldn't have to see you talk back to us! I guess I was wrong," James joked, trying to get Harry to calm down. By the look on Harry's face, it had worked.

Suddenly, thunder erupted from the heavens, and everyone jumped. Well, except for the shadow memories of course, as they were not standing on the ground in the first place. But Harry was the only one who noticed a tall bearded man appear in the east, driving what looked like a huge carriage…

Harry ran over to Dumbledore, and excitedly began unloading all of the portraits from Madame Maxime's Beauxbatons carriage. He triple-checked to make sure that all of them were there, and excitedly ran back over to his parents and Sirius.

They had begun to diminish again, at a more rapid pace. 'Voldemort's corpse must be one easy thing to decompose,' Harry thought as he sat on a large, wet rock in front of James, Lily and Sirius.

"I guess I'll just wait here until you guys are really gone, for the second time in my life. I don't know if I'll be able to handle it though. Losing you once was bad enough, but twice?" Harry exasperatedly professed.

"Harry, you won't let that stop you! I only knew you for two years, but in that wickedly short period of time, I got to know you well enough to realize that you can make your own happiness. If something isn't going right, you make it right. You are the most extraordinary young man I've ever had the pleasure to meet, Harry. Not only did I get to _meet_ you, I was your godfather! You may not realize it Harry, but your life has just begun. You've just overcome the darkest wizard this world will ever know, but there is so much more for you to do. And we'll be watching you, and becoming more and more proud of you each day, if that's even possible. Just remember Harry, there's always something better on the other side of the veil," Sirius, now almost transparent, whispered, and for one brief moment, Harry could've sworn he became solid.

"This is it," Sirius sighed, and he looked at James and Lily.

"Harry, for a few seconds, we will be solid. Actually living. And that signals that Voldemort's body is almost completely gone," James explained. Lily began crying, as she leaned onto Harry shoulder, then pulling him into a tight hug.'

"I love you, Harry! Never forget that! Always remember that we will be watching Harry, watching you and loving you," Lily cooed, slightly calmed down. She kissed Harry on the forehead, and silent tears continued to stream down her face.

"I love you too Mum," Harry replied, eyes closed behind his round black glasses, trying not to let his tears escape. Lily pulled away and flung her arms around Sirius's neck as she continued to bawl.

"Harry, promise me that you'll always remember your old Mum and Dad. Always love us. Always think of us, because we'll always be thinking of you," James demanded politely, as he pulled his son into a hug, tears forming in the brim of his eyes behind his glasses, yet he was determined not to cry. He let go, but he held on to Harry's shoulders for a few moments until Harry grinned, his cheeks shiny and wet from his tears.

"I promise Dad. I love you," Harry replied, and let out a soft chuckle.

James held Lily soothingly as she let go of Sirius continued to sob into James's chest. Then Sirius stepped forward.

"Harry, just remember, mischief is never managed, as long as it's under the guidance of Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs. Just keep that in mind every time you get into another scrape, you're doing it for your old godfather. I love you more than anything, Harry. I don't have a wife to love, and I'd never loved my parents, so besides your parents and Remus, I have no one. But that all changed that night I was made your godfather. That was the proudest day of my life, Harry; just remember that. Just, just remember us," Sirius broke off, apparently trying not to cry in front of his godson.

But at that moment, Harry burst into tears and flung his arms around Sirius's middle, not wanting to let go. Sirius held on for a quite awhile too, resting his head on top of Harry's until he could feel himself becoming less and less solid. Harry and Sirius separated and all four of them continued weeping. In a flash of brilliant magnificence, all of the memories turned gold, and Harry remembered a poem he had to memorize and recite in the Muggle school he attended before Hogwarts: Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost. And at that moment, Harry realized the truth in that poem as he wiped his eyes and watched his parents and godfather slowly fade away into the darkness.

_Nature's first green is gold,_

_Her hardest hue to hold._

_Her early leaf's a flower;_

_But only so an hour._

_Then leaf subsides to leaf._

_So Eden sank to grief,_

_So dawn goes down to day._

_Nothing gold can stay. _

_Robert Frost_


	33. Epilogue

**Epilogue:  
Moving On**

Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Charlie, Bill, Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Moody, Lupin and Dumbledore all sat outside of the Burrow, enjoying a summer feast of all of Ginny's favorite foods. Just as she accepted another helping of steak and kidney pie from Mrs. Weasley, she looked over at the setting sun and remembered Hogwarts.

She wouldn't be a student there the following year, as Dumbledore decided she had done so much without a seventh year at Hogwarts during her tremendous quest which ended just one week before. But she realized that there was much more to learn and experience at Hogwarts, which was why she would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts the following year. Tonks had done a good job, of course, but she would rather resume her work as an Auror under the guidance of their new Minister of Magic, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.

It had only been the day before that Dumbledore had come to her with the offer, and she immediately accepted, knowing that she would become the youngest witch or wizard to ever teach at Hogwarts. She hadn't told anyone yet though, and she was sure they would all be surprised, especially her mother.

She could hear her mother now: _WHAT? Dumbledore said you needed time off, not a job! _But she didn't really have to listen to her mother anymore; she would be turning 17 in only four short days, and she would be of age and capable of making her own decisions. Additionally, she was quite tired of being alone with her mother each day.

Not that she didn't feel sorry for her mother, but she was very tired of seeing her mother cry when she would come across something of Percy's or her father's; it was quite depressing, especially when you could talk to them both in the living room at any time you'd like. Besides, Ron and Harry would be home to keep her company.  
At that point, Harry and Ginny were officially dating, and Mrs. Weasley couldn't have been more thrilled. Neither could Ron, apparently.

"Bloody hell, I've been waiting long enough! Just think, Harry, when you two get married, we'll be brothers-in-law! I can see it now..." Ron had exclaimed when Ginny and Harry had told him a few days before.

Ginny thought a lot about Ron's statement: "..._when_ you two get married…" It sounded so scary at the time that she slapped him on the back for saying it. But now, it sounded so..._right_.

Hermione would undoubtedly be visiting a lot too, as her relationship with Ron seemed to be getting deeper. Ginny could have sworn she saw Ron quickly pull a beautiful diamond ring (an _expensive_ ring) out of his dresser one night as she was ascending the stairs to go to bed. But when she questioned him about it, he denied it bluntly.

Ginny finally stopped staring at the horizon and realized that everyone else had stopped eating and were staring at her.

"Is this true Ginny? Are you going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts next year?" her mother asked, lips pursed.

"Yes," Ginny replied tersely. She did not feel like arguing with her mother at the moment.

"Well, that's wonderful Ginny! It's great that you want to use your abilities to educate others!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, a huge smile now illuminating her face. Ginny sighed with relief as everyone now murmured congratulations to her. She was beginning to feel quite exhausted, so she excused herself from the table and decided to head up to bed.

Each night since the prophecies were fulfilled, before she went upstairs to bed, she talked to her brother's and father's portraits to describe her day. But that night, both of them appeared to be sleeping, so she just whispered her goodnights and tiptoed up the staircase.

She laid quietly under her warm blankets, just thinking...thinking about what lessons she would teach her first class, if she and Harry would really ever get married, and for some odd reason, if Fred and George's birthday (April 1st) had affected their personality somehow. As she thought all of these things, she heard an owl pecking on her window. She got out of her bed and pulled up the window, then recognized Hedwig. She gently removed the torn piece of parchment and read it:  
_'Meet me in the kitchen'_

She put on her bathrobe and slipped into her slippers before closing her window and letting Hedwig rest on her shoulder. She exited her room and slowly walked downstairs. She could hear everyone still outside, probably cleaning up from supper. She didn't want to let them know she was awake so she tiptoed through the living room and then into the kitchen.

"Hey," Harry greeted her quietly as she entered the small room. Ginny smiled softly and looked down at her feet.

"I want to talk about last week. Besides Ebony and Ivy, you were the only one there when it happened...when I killed him. The way I acted...I was like him. I _wanted _to kill him...I wanted to _destroy _him actually. Is that normal? Am I as bad as him?" Harry asked, seriously concerned.

"No, Harry. Of course not. You were just very angry at that time, and who wouldn't be? That was the only way for you to defeat Voldemort, anyway: emotions, like you guessed. You just perceived it the wrong way. You thought that you had to make Voldemort feel extreme emotion, but actually, you needed to feel extreme emotion before you would even _consider _killing him," Ginny explained.

Harry looked slightly relieved, but he didn't say anything else. Ginny moved closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and just held on to him. In a few moments, he held her too, and they just stood in the kitchen hugging for nearly five minutes, until Harry broke the silence.

"I love you Ginny. I will always love you, until the day I die. If I hadn't been so worked up last week, I would've told you before we even went into that attic. But I was so scared, you know? I couldn't think straight. But finally, now I can, and I love you."

Ginny pulled back a little bit, surprised, yet expectant. She loved him too, since they were young, but she didn't know he felt the same way. Even when they started to date, she thought maybe he still wasn't sure how he felt. How silly she'd been all along! As she opened her mouth to reply, her throat dried up and she couldn't speak. Struggling now to talk, she began to choke. Realizing that it was more than nervousness, she clutched her throat and motioned for Harry to help her. He called to everyone outside, and they all rushed into the kitchen. Her eyes were tearing then, and she could barely see. She felt as if she were going to pass out.

As she was rolling around on the ground, trying to breathe, the Shadow Orb fell out of her robe pocket and rolled away from her. She grabbed it quickly and held it tightly in her cold hands.

"I need to breathe!"

And she stopped. She stood up and cleared her throat loudly before saying, "I love you too Harry."

Everyone just stared for a moment, but then Ginny giggled loudly and she moved closer to Harry, close enough to feel his breath on her face. Harry smiled before leaning in closer to kiss her...

Ron and Hermione kissed softly before turning to face their guests and proceeding to walk down the aisle, a new married couple. They looked extremely happy, and Harry and Ginny couldn't be happier for them. As Ginny looked past the small wedding arrangement that was set up for Ron and Hermione's special day, she saw all the graves of the people who had recently been reburied here at Godric's Hollow. But she also noticed the remains of the house Harry's parents had lived in, and also the house that he had killed Voldemort in. They had a funeral-like memorial for that house, too. It was the second and best funeral that summer, unlike Neville Longbottom's. No one had interrupted it, which allowed it to be absolutely perfect. But something else happened that day: Harry had proposed to her. Ginevra Molly Weasley (soon-to-be Potter) now proudly sported a handsome emerald ring on her left hand.

But just as Ginny and Harry were both happy on that beautiful August day, they both knew that they would soon face great strife concerning the death of those three Dark wizards; although they were not worrying too much about this, they did in fact fear the day that someone would try to avenge the death of their master, and they knew it would happen soon.


End file.
